


Learn To Love Thy Enemy

by i_remain_lost



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute Kara Danvers, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Injury, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor-centric, Kara's still Kryptonian, Knights - Freeform, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Kara Danvers, The luthors killed Krypton, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:05:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 89,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_remain_lost/pseuds/i_remain_lost
Summary: ~~~“King Lex has written on behalf of himself and his mother on an agreement of peace between the Danvers and the Luthors for a small period of time, enough opportunity for both sides to recover moderately from our losses... on one condition,” Eliza stopped and exhaled a faint sigh.“That’s insane. What condition?”“The next heir to the Nationell Citi Kingdom must marry the next Luthor heir, his sister.”Kara’s heart stopped beating.~~~Long ago, Lionel Luthor waged a war upon Krypton that would forever be remembered in the history books. His army wiped out the ancient race of Kryptonians, leaving the once beloved kingdom scattered in ash, a dead nation.Years later, Kara Zor-El, the last daughter of Krypton and Soul Heir to the throne, had a major problem to face: Lex Luthor, son of the man that killed her parents and entire kingdom, has threatened a war upon the Kingdom of Nationell Citi, unless the heir of the throne will marry his sister, Princess Lena Luthor. Her adopted sister, Alex, refused the throne, leaving Kara to wed her biggest enemy to save Nationell Citi from the same fate as her parents.





	1. Chapter 1

Kara Zor-El, the last princess of the Kingdom of Krypton and only surviving member of the House of El, daughter to Alura and Zor-El, former King and Queen of Krypton, the only heir to a broken and fallen Kingdom, stood in a ready stance as three knights of the Kingdom of Nationell Citi charged at her, swords in the air and prepared to defeat the blonde, who’s hair was flowing freely as she dodged blows from the strong men, lashing out with a few of her own. Advance, deflect, lunge, side-step, parry, repeat.  
Kara had a certain finesse with a sword that made others around her watch in awe as she seemed to make all of the right movements, light on her feet and never hesitating.

 

After clashing swords for a minute or two, Kara saw an opening in one of the knight’s stance, taking the opportunity to duck his swing and kick his dominant foot out from beneath him, knocking the man on his back, sword falling somewhere behind him. The other two were distracted enough by Kara’s skills that it became easy to disarm them and knock them down as well, throwing up their hands in surrender.

 

Kara sheathed her blade at her right side, holding out her hand to help the three knights up onto their feet again. Drowning out the sounds of clapping and cheers from other knights, squires, and maids around them, Kara walked over to where her sister stood, leaning on a rack of unused swords with a smirk on her face.

 

“You’re getting better,” Alex said proudly. “Hopefully the next time we spar it will actually be a challenge.”

 

Kara rolled her eyes and huffed out a laugh. “I know, right? It’s getting boring beating you all of the time.” she jested with a feigned annoyed face.

 

“You wish.” Alex smacked her arm playfully.

 

A young squire approached them timidly and asked if Kara needed any help with her armor. Kara politely declined but thanked the squire for his offer. “Would you like me to fetch your archery equipment for you, ma’am?”

 

“That would be amazing, Charles,” Kara responded with a smile, and with that, he ran off to do just that.

 

Alex watched as her little sister began to remove her sword belt and gauntlets, stepping in only to help her undo the heavy chest plate. Once Kara was completely stripped of her armor Alex spoke up. “Mother requested our presence this afternoon in the throne room. She said it was important and could not wait another minute.”

 

Kara’s brow furrowed. “I doubt it’s as urgent as it sounds. Eliza most likely just wants us to attend court tomorrow.”

 

“I don’t know, it just felt weird when she told me. It was like she was almost… sad or something.” Alex ran a hand through her short auburn locks.

 

The blonde nodded her head. “Well, then I will be there with you this afternoon.” She replied, determined as she slipped an archery bow-string guard on her wrist.

 

“Kara, you’re almost always late whenever you say that.” Alex teased, earning a flick on her shoulder, jumping slightly and rubbing the affected spot with a sarcastic pout on her face.

 

“I will be on time, I just need to run through my archery routine beforehand.” Kara defended, pushing open the tent flap and stepped out, starting her walk to the archery targets and laughing when Alex followed behind shortly after with a bowstring guard around her wrist as well, claiming whoever won their little competition got to pick the first dessert at dinner.

 

Kara won by a single point. After all, it was her dessert on the line.

 

{***}

 

Once the sun began to set Alex and Kara hung up their bows and armor. The two sisters laughed and joked around with each other in the halls on their way to see Eliza, sobering up and putting on professional faces when the guards bowed and opened the giant doors that revealed the Kingdom’s beautiful throne room, Eliza already sitting on her wonderfully hand-carved royal chair, two guards posted a few feet away from her on the left and on the right. “My girls,” Their mother greeted them with a kind smile. “How was your training this morning?”

 

“It was fine, mother. Kara sparred with a few knights today, and I’m confident enough to say that no one has beaten Kara just yet. Except for me, of course.” Alex teased lightly, watching as Kara resisted the urge to ram her in the side in front of the Queen.

 

“It’s always a challenge between you two, isn’t it?” Eliza chuckled softly. She sat a little looser in her seat, her smile fading slowly into what looked like sadness.

 

Kara saw this and tilted her head, confused.

 

“You said that our meeting here was a matter of importance, Your Grace?” Kara raised her eyebrows, awaiting an answer from her adoptive mother whose mood seemed to just change on a dime, something that she didn’t do very often. Alex thought the same.

 

"Yes," Eliza inhaled an unsteady breath. "Last night I received a rather chilling letter from the Luthor Kingdom.”

 

Even the guards in the throne room with them seemed to hold their breaths at the thick tension that built up in a matter of twelve words. “The Luthor Kingdom?” Alex worried.

 

The Danvers Queen nodded. “Unfortunately.”

 

“What do they want from us?” Kara stepped to the side a little, swearing she could see smoke coming out of her sister’s ears. “Food, soldiers, our lives?”

 

“Alex, calm down this instant,” Eliza warned, putting a hand in front of her.  


She didn’t calm down. The oldest Danvers temper only increased. “No! They’ve tried to steal our kingdom and it’s people many times with flattery and letters, even death threats!” She growled out defensively, her arms waving in the air as she spoke.

 

“I am well aware of that!” Eliza scolded.

 

“Then what do they want from us? Tell me you didn’t make any deals with those savages.” Alex shook her head, not wanting to image the Luthor’s taking advantage of her mother.

 

Kara began to consider herself very much out of place as the mother and daughter exchanged heated words back and forth about their enemies. She knew about the Luthor Kingdom and the evil misdoings that their rulers from generation to generation had caused, trying and failing many times to tear down Nationell Citi’s walls and take the throne, but she hadn’t seen Alex so angry about the subject of them until now.

 

Kara knew that the Luthors were responsible for the death of her kingdom, but also came to terms that it was a very long time ago, knowing that Lionel Luthor had been dead for some time, and couldn’t possibly do any more damage than what was already done. Just to be safe Kara slowly shuffled to the back of a fuming Alex.

 

“King Lex has tried to overthrow this kingdom many times, and his father before him. We all know that we don’t have enough resources to fight them off again, should they come for us. In turn, this has also thinned his army every time we’ve defeated them,” Eliza pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, trying very hard to maintain her composer.  
“He has written on behalf of himself and his mother on an agreement of peace between the Danvers and the Luthors for a small period of time, enough opportunity for both sides to recover moderately... on one condition,” Eliza stopped and exhaled a faint sigh.

 

“That’s insane. What condition?” Alex urged, keeping just a smidgen of her rage contained. Kara understood how difficult it was for her to do that at a time like this.

 

“Guards, leave us,” Eliza commanded with a wave of her hand. She watched as both armored men bowed before walking out the doors, pulling them shut behind them. Kara knew that if Eliza sent the guards away then what came next was only to be heard by their ears, and their ears only. The blonde held her breath when her foster mother spoke up.

 

“The next heir to the Nationell Citi Kingdom must marry the next Luthor heir, his sister.”

 

Both Alex and Kara’s hearts stopped beating. An arranged marriage? There was no way this was happening. Kara’s attention shot from the floor straight to Eliza’s sorrowful blue eyes like a magnet.

 

“I will never. I said before that I refuse the throne,” Alex shook her head in utter disbelief.

 

“I am aware, Alex,” Her mother looked guiltily down at the throne room’s spotless marble floor, waiting for it to click in her children’s minds.

 

“Wait,” Alex looked behind her to see Kara equally shocked and dismayed. “No, mother, not Kara.”

 

“You want me to marry Lex’s sister?” Kara finally articulated a single sentence after spending the entire conversation in silence. No no no no no. Her chest felt tight and miserable. Her throat closed up as her stomach tied itself into the tightest knot possible. “I thought the Luthor’s spat upon relations of the same sex?”

 

“I told him that I only have daughters. He must be desperate.” Eliza appeared to be holding back bitter tears. “Kara, it’s the only thing that can keep Lex at bay long enough to-”

 

“The Luthor’s despised Kryptonians, they still do even when they know that all of my people are dead,” Kara interrupted, feeling utterly betrayed. “How could I marry someone who literally hates who I am?”

 

No one spoke for a while after what Kara had said for a while. Before the Kingdom of Krypton was destroyed the Luthor Kingdom constantly sought to wipe them out, fearing their ancient almost God-like powers and what they could do.

 

“Mother, don’t tell me you accepted,” Alex gasped.

 

Eliza sat forward with her head in her wrinkled hands, unable to reply. That gave both girls their answer.

 

Kara eventually gave up trying to understand and marched out on trembling legs, blood flowing into her ears, slamming open one of the doors, leaving her adoptive family in the throne room as she through the castle to her bedroom. Once inside Kara locked the door and fell down to her knees, too shocked to stand.  
Kara wanted to pinch herself and find out whether or not it was just a bad dream. She wanted to marry for love, her mother and father would have wanted it as well. She wanted it to be her choice, but with the fate of the entire kingdom of Nationell Citi depending on marrying her enemy…

 

It just felt like too much right now. Even for a Kryptonian.

 

{***}

 

Halfway across the Seven Kingdoms stood the extremely sturdy, threatening Kingdom of the powerful Luthor Family. The kingdom had a reputation for getting what they wanted any time they wanted it, so it was no surprise when Lex Luthor sat in his study, skimming over contracts and business agreements when a servant knocked on his door.

 

“Enter,” Lex commanded.

 

The manservant kept his head down as he came into his King’s room. “Your Majesty, a message was received from the Danvers Kingdom,” He said, handing Lex a small piece of parchment.

 

“Fetch my sister immediately.” He ordered calmly.

 

The servant bowed deeply and scurried off, not hesitating to do what was commanded of him. While he waiting for the arrival of his sister the Luthor King unfolding the note and reading the ink, a smirk growing on his sinful face.

 

**To the ruler of the Luthor Kingdom, Alexander Luthor,**

**My youngest daughter will marry the princess Lena Luthor. My oldest has refused the throne, making princess Kara Danvers next in line for the throne. I hope for the sake of both Kingdoms that this marriage will bring peace and harmony between our lands and it’s people…**

**~Queen Elizabeth Danvers**

 

Lex snickered. Peace and harmony was the last thing he had on his mind when it came to the Danvers of Nationell Citi. Marrying off his sister to the Danvers meant that he had a connection to them, able to cease the throne when the time was right. Giving them princess Lena would give them the impression that he would back off for a while. In reality, Lex was just waiting for them to let their guard down. Soon he could force his army upon the Kingdom that his father spent the majority of his life trying to obtain.

 

His wicked thoughts were stunted by the second knock on his door that night. He folded up the piece of paper as the door slipped open to unveil the raven-haired Luthor heir looking quite nervous as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her small frame.

 

“Sister,” Lex greeted with a fake smile.

 

Lena bowed. “Brother. You needed to see me?”

 

“Sit.” he gestured to the chair across from him on the other side of the oak table littered with papers, books, and lanterns for lighting, aside from the light of the fireplace across from them, giving the room an intimidating glow. Lena took a seat, clasping her hands together in a way that made her seem older.

 

“I have been sending letters to the Kingdom of Nationell Citi about you,” Lex jumped straight to the point, ignoring Lena’s questioning stare. “In order to heal from our recent loss in taking the throne I have come to an agreement with Queen Elizabeth Danvers about a time of peace between our healing kingdoms… for a price,”

 

“What price?” Lena inquired carefully.

 

“That you marry the heir to the Danvers’ throne.”

 

Her breath was painfully stolen from her lungs with a harsh tug at her heart making her chest sore. Lena had read stories of marriage for love and tales of finding a soulmate. She knew that with her being a Luthor those stories would never come true, but the princess still had hope that she would get to choose the man that she’d spend the rest of her life with. Suddenly something just didn’t make sense.

 

“But the Queen does not have sons,” Lena threw out the statement weakly in confusion, hoping that would help get her out of this dreadful predicament, but to no avail.

 

“The kingdom of Nationell Citi doesn’t care which gender weds which when it comes to royal marriages,” Lex groused, a look of disgust on his face as he explained the situation.

 

“I don’t want to wed the enemy,” Lena protested, wish to walk out the door and pretend this conversation wasn’t real at all, just a terrible nightmare.

 

“You don’t have a say in it, sister,” Lex huffed. “I am the king and you will do what is best for this kingdom. This is your only chance anyway. Do you even know how many kingdoms have turned you down?”

 

Those words hit Lena hard, the youngest Luthor struggling to contain the heavy emotions crashing inside of her. She didn’t know her brother had been trying to give her away to other royal families like an animal behind her back, and it broke her heart to think about what he was like when they were younger-before he became king. Lex was a good brother, but when Lionel died and he was crowned, the power took over the innocent boy her used to be. “Face it, Lena, no one else will want to marry you. Other than this agreement of peace, you’re useless to me.”

 

Lena thought she was used to how forward Lex was with his words, but he had never been so violent with his words unless she talked back, putting her in her place by reminding her that she was nothing more than a stupid girl.

 

“We will leave for Nationell Citi tomorrow morning,” Les shifted in his seat to sit up straighter. “I suggest you go get some rest. It’s a few days away to Nationell Citi.”

 

Lena stood on shaking legs, shuffling to the door and uttered one last weak response to her cruel brother. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Then it took every ounce of her to not slam that door.

 

{***}

 

The birds were chirping happily outside. It wasn’t too hot in the training yard or the flourishing city. The wonderfully bright sun shone down upon her, but Kara didn’t care, just kept slashing her sword at the wooden practice dummy in front of her with enormous amounts of frustration-fueled strength, in the arms, legs, torso, taking out chips of it with every other hit that collected down at her busy feet. The sun that gave her the ability to cut down ten men, or lift a table with one hand, did not bring her joy right now. Kara would normally take her time basking in the sweet, warm light, thanking the Sun God Rao for her abilities, but today she just wanted to take out her anger on the object in front of her.

 

One last strong swing of her weapon and the practice dummy that stood tall not too long ago was now cut right in half, the upper body of it falling to the earth with a solid thunk. Kara was a little surprised as she gazed down at the human-shaped hunk of wood, cursing herself in her mind for letting her powers take over a split second.

 

“That’s not going to help, you know?” a familiar voice called out behind her.  
Kara spun on her heel, eyes landing on her sister’s sad brown eyes and tall form resting on the castle wall. Alex pushed herself off of the brick and strode her way, letting her crossed arms fall to her sides.

 

“You can’t do that out in the open,” Alex gestured at the half of the dummy still on the stand and the shards around the blonde’s feet. “Someone could find out.”

 

Kara took a few breaths. “I’m sorry,” She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation sweat shining on her neck, cheeks lightly flushed. “I’ll clean this up.”

 

Alex shook her head as she looked down to the ground. “Listen, Kara, I know you’re upset-”

 

“Upset?” Kara interjected, voice dripping with irritation. “Eliza is marrying me off to a woman I haven't yet met and even didn’t come to me about it until the deal was already struck!”

 

“I know-”

 

“No, you don’t! I’m in this ridiculous mess because of you!” Kara shouted, stepping closer to her sister. “I’m the heir because you refused the throne!” she plunged her sword in the dirt in a fit of rage, leaving it to stick up in the ground.

 

Alex just stared with wide eyes as the Kryptonian lashed out. Kara had never been so angry in the entire 11 years she had known her. She got upset at times if something didn’t go to plan, or if she got in trouble for being a little too curious, but never fumed or ranted like this.

 

Kara’s mind cleared up after being blindfolded by her frustration and rage, the recognition of what she said echoing inside her conscious, seeping in and reminded her what those words meant. She let out a breath of air she didn’t know she was holding in, covering her mouth in shock at her own words. “Alex-”

 

“Now it’s my turn to interrupt,” the brunette said sadly. “I’m the sorry one.”

 

“No, Alex. The last thing I want is for you to go through this,” Kara sighed.

 

The older Danvers began to twiddle her thumbs nervously. “If I could take this away you know I would. I would not hesitate to-”

 

“Alex, I know about Maggie,” Kara confessed before Alex could finish.

 

“W-Wha-You do?” She stuttered, eyes wide once again.

 

Kara huffed humorously. “You started sneaking out of your room every night last month. Around that time was when you’d smile at absolutely nothing during meals or breaks between training.” She listed while Alex stared, looking gobsmacked.

 

“I started investigating where you were going in those late hours, only to find you meeting up with a woman named Maggie Sawyer at the bar, south of the palace.”

 

Alex blushed crimson once Kara finished. “I-I was going to tell you, but I just didn’t know what you would do,”

 

“I would like to properly meet my big sister’s love interest,” Kara chuckled, cuffing her on the shoulder lightly.

 

Alex joined in on her little sister’s laughter. After a moment of smiles and blushing like a child, she sobered up quickly. “I wish there was something I could do about this whole marriage,”

 

Kara shook her head. “I may not get to choose the person I marry, But you deserve to. Peace is what we need, and if marrying a Luthor will do that, then that is what needs to be done,” She strode back to her sword and yanked it out from the ground, sliding it into its sheath attached to her hip.

 

“Kara, you have always done your best to help and make everyone else happy. Don’t tell me you don’t deserve love either.”

 

“I’m not saying that. I just think that this situation is probably the gods' means of declaring that it simply isn’t it the cards for me,” Kara explained sorrowfully.

 

The older woman didn’t know what to say to that. When Kara had arrived in their home at the age of 10, Alex felt delighted that she suddenly had a sister, someone to talk to and stay up late at night with and simply laugh and make trouble, but as they grew up and they became closer and closer, Alex had then realized that Kara was the most important person in her life. Kara was kind and loving and polite to everyone she met, always leaving a lasting impression on them. The castle staff loved the young princess. Now, it was just unfair what the world was doing to such a wonderful person in her life, and it broke her heart.

 

“I don’t know what I would do without you,” She blurted, not meaning to say the words out loud.

 

Kara stopped her steps over to the broken practice dummy, turning around to face her amazing sister. She immediately wrapped Alex in a crushing hug. “You’d be just fine,”

 

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Alex responded and returned the embrace fully.

 

“I am serious, though,” Kara pulled away and grinned. “I do want to meet Maggie,” She smiled when Alex kissed her on the forehead.

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

{***}

 

That morning Lena didn’t feel like moving from her bed. The emotional weight of the conversation last night with her brother taking a toll on her. She didn’t sleep well, of course, nor did she eat the dinner her maids brought to her in her chambers, too sick to her stomach to swallow anything. When she finally pulled her exhausted self out of bed to get dressed, looking at herself in the mirror. She had faint but present dark circles under her eyes, and tear stains still visible on her cheeks, and she looked much paler than normal.

 

A knock on the door made her jump. “Princess, Your Majesty has requested you outside of the castle by the half hour.” a male servant called from behind the door. Lena listened as the man walked back down the hall, presumably back to her sadistic brother.

 

Today was the day she’d say goodbye to her home, the Luthor palace, and began the journey to the kingdom of Nationell Citi, where she would meet the woman she’d be marrying. She didn’t even know the name of the princess that would become her wife. It felt strange to even think about it in her head. The Luthor kingdom was known for many things; power, strength, cleverness. But the popular kingdom also stood against the romantic bonds between members of the same sex.  
The knowledge that Lex no longer cared about her to the point where he would just get rid of her so willingly, not caring whom her partner would be… Lena refused to cry as she grabbed a small satchel with only her most valued items and walked through the palace with her head held high, holding in her emotions as she found herself outside, looking out at the caravan of guards and horses, her brother leaning against a small black carriage.

 

“Sister!” Lex called her his way.

 

The guards standing beside him bowed their heads respectfully as she approached her brother. “Your Grace,” She greeted. Lena would never call him ‘brother’ to his face ever again, not after this.

 

“The trip is three days time,” He informed her briefly. “I had your servants pack you a few dresses and other things.”

 

“Thank you, My Lord.”

 

Lex grinned down at her. “I trust these guards, and you should as well, do you understand?” He raised an eyebrow expectantly, almost as if he thought she’d try to run away from her cruel fate.

 

Lena simply nodded, unable to form words at the moment.

 

“Have safe travels, sister. I expect word of your arrival in the next week.”

 

And with that a guard opened the door of the carriage, allowing her to step inside and make herself comfortable. As she looked out the window to the carriage she watched as her brother stepped back and the coach pulled forward. Lena bit her tongue to fight off the bile rising in her throat. She had been given away, just like that, and no one could save her from marrying the enemy of the Luthor kingdom.

 

{***}

 

The next night Alex, Kara, and their mother sat in the royal dining room, viscously thick tension filling the air as they ate their food in silence, save for the occasion clank of silverware on their plates.

 

“I have received word that a carriage housing the Princess Lena Luthor will be arriving in the next two days,” Eliza broke the silence at the dinner table.

 

Kara looked up from her plate for the first time that night and looked Eliza straight in the eyes. “I’ll make sure to wear my best suit.”

 

Eliza clenched her jaw, facing her other daughter. “Alex will you please allow me to speak with Kara alone for a little while?” She asked, sounding more like a statement than a  
question.

 

Alex nodded and hesitated before wiping her mouth with a cloth, getting up from her seat and legging it to the exit.

 

“Kara, you need to know that-”

 

“I need to know why you never brought up the subject of the letters between Lex Luthor, or when you agreed to have me marry his little sister without telling me first,” Kara narrowed her eyes, resembling that of a wolf stalking its prey.

 

“You left the throne room before I could explain anything,” Eliza defended.

 

“There’s nothing to explain. I’m not your biological child, so it doesn’t really matter to you who I end up with.”

 

“Kara, that is not the case at all, please just listen,” Eliza beseeched, continuing on when the blonde gazed down angrily at her empty plate. “If Lex’s army tries to take this kingdom while we’re low on soldiers and weapons then we will surely fall. We cannot do that to our people. No matter how hard it may seem, this marriage will give us the peace that we need in order to fight back if the time comes,” the older woman sighed and pushed her plate further to the center of the table. “Not many people know about this, but Jeremiah and I were also part of an arranged marriage.”

 

At that Kara looked up to Eliza again, with shock and confusion covering her features. “You were?”

 

“Yes. Our marriage was orchestrated to bring our two families together: The Danvers, and the Vartell’s. Over time I grew to love him very much, and I still do. I was truly heartbroken when I found out he had died.”

 

Kara instinctively rested a hand over her foster mother’s, comforting her as she grieved her dead husband. Eliza’s eyes crinkled at the sides as she smiled softly at her adopted daughter.

 

“You are still my daughter, Kara, and I know that you’re strong enough to do this for our people,” Eliza paused to cup Kara’s cheeks gently. “Because you are such a strong, brave girl.”

 

Kara let a tiny smile slip through her mask of slight anger, rolling her eyes as she stood up pulled Eliza into a hug, the older woman wrapping her arms around her middle and buried her face into Kara’s stomach and let her tears fall freely.

 

Kara lightly rubbed her adoptive mother’s back with soothing up-and-down movements. “It’s okay, Eliza, I forgive you.” She didn’t mean to say it out loud right then, but at least it was true.  
Eliza wasn’t giving her away to the enemy, not truly. Even though her chances of finding love were stripped away from her without her permission, Kara could tell that Eliza was beating herself up over a decision she should not have had to make for her child. Even if she knew, Kara still would’ve chosen her people’s happiness over her’s at the end of it all. There was no reason to be upset at anyone for something they couldn’t control.

 

They stayed like that for a few minutes; Kara embracing a crying Eliza, the room filled with love, understanding, and tears. “I’m so sorry, honey,” The saddened queen sobbed into her daughter’s fine shirt, gripping the fabric tighter as Kara pulled her up onto her shaking legs.

 

“You have been so kind to me, ever since I came to you, an orphan, all those years ago.” Kara pulled away from the hug to look Eliza in the eyes. “Marrying Lena Luthor will be difficult for me, but I will do it for Jeremiah, you, and for Alex.”

 

“After everything, you are still so good.” Eliza pulled her down and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re parents would be so proud of you.”

 

Kara willed herself not to cry at that statement. “Thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

She would never confess it to anyone, but Lena had cried almost the entire voyage to the Danvers Kingdom, hopelessly staring out the window with blurry and red irritated eyes as she let her fate truly sink in. Even if her poor excuse of a family never really loved or cared about her, it still hurt her that they would be so unbothered about sending her away to wealthy heathens all the way across the kingdom, only to buy themselves enough time to let their military recover. It seemed like quite a cowardly arrangement in her mind. It didn't matter what she thought, though, Lex made that crystal clear to her the minute he spat the whole plan out in her face. Lena never actually had a say in anything over the years when her brother became King, constantly being shoved to the side, no longer suitable to exchange words in court, only accompanying Lex during business proceedings to be a pretty face in order to help persuade men to accept his deals.

 

The carriage being pulled to a rather rough stop jarred Lena out of her thoughts, her hands coming up to quickly wipe away the stray tears off of her cheeks, thankful of her decision to not wear any makeup on the way.

 

"Princess, we've arrived at-"

 

"I know." Lena interrupted the guard outside her carriage door in an annoyed tone. She hoped it come out as snappy as she thought it did. She wasn't stupid, she already knew she had arrived at the gates of purgatory and clearly did not want to be reminded of it.

 

The guard unlocked the carriage door and stepped back, allowing Lena to step out, pulling herself together in an instant by running a shaking hand through her hair as she reached the hard ground. The first thing she saw was the soldiers that accompanied her stood at the front of the carriage in a neat line, looking ready to plunge their swords straight into the multiple Danvers guards that stood by the large stairs running up to the castle. She sucked in a breath before looking up at the Nationell Citi palace...

 

It was beautiful. The sun shone down upon the Luthor soldiers and herself, the puffy white clouds looked unquestionably perfect in the bright blue sky. Lena could hear the sounds of the kingdom's commoners behind her busing themselves below in the market squares of the town, some she even detected singing or whistling happily. The smell of the air was fresh and warm, unlike the cold, dense atmosphere in the Luthor Kingdom. The palace guards standing noiseless outside in the stone courtyard wore colorful outfits of rich red and azure blue, and the shining silver of their armor easily catching to anyone's eye. It seemed a lot like a description from a storybook. She didn't know whether that was good or bad.

 

What caught her eye was the great front doors many feet away from her that opened into the palace, the deep wood being drawn open by the guards occupying the space there. Lena watched as the doors slowly opened to reveal two figures: A young, tall blonde woman who began to descend the stairs with her hands behind her back, and a slightly shorter, auburn-haired woman following close behind, a hand resting threateningly on the hilt of her sword.

 

The two women stopped at the bottom of the steps, clearly meaning for Lena to come forward and greet them. The Luthor willed herself not to turn around and shut herself back inside the carriage. She took in one more deep breath and steeled her features before walking across the courtyard to meet the women, the only sound heard was the rhythmic clicking of her shoes on the smooth stone.

 

Getting a closer look, Lena noticed how well-dressed the blonde girl looked in a dark blue suit with red around the seams of it, a white undershirt tucked into matching pants which brought out her piercing blue eyes that stared straight at her. Many colorful medals were pinned to the front of her blazer that Lena recognized as military medals. Lena so was captured by how beautiful the blonde woman was that she completely forgot about the woman behind her.

 

"Miss Luthor," The short-haired woman broke the silence, not very discreetly glaring at Lena with her brown eyes as she bowed curtly. She already felt unwelcome after just two words from the stranger. This woman was most likely Kara Danvers. That would explain why she looked so angry and cross toward her. She was just as unhappy about the whole marriage as she was.

 

The blonde bowed as well, a little lower and gave a nervous smile that did _something_ to Lena. She didn't know what it was, but it was just _something _. "This is my sister, Alexandra-or Alex for short," Lena's breath caught in her throat at the blonde's words. _Wait... If she wasn't... Then who..._ "I'm Kara." She thrust out a gloved hand in front of her.__

__

__After asking around before she left the Luthor palace, she was able to find out the name of the Danvers heir. She had heard that the oldest, Alexandra, had refused to take the throne after her mother, so that meant that the youngest was the next in line, Kara._ _

__

__The young Luthor bit the inside of her cheek to contain her shock. She didn't know her betrothed would be so... Attractive. Lex had filled her mind up with stories of how the princess of Nationell Citi was a naughty child who never listened to anyone, always rolled around in dirt and muck, interacting with the ugly commoners because she would 'blend in so well.' But that was not the case at all. Kara Danvers was stunningly beautiful and looked very kind compared to her sister._ _

__

__Lena got herself together and shook Kara's hand with a glove covered one of her own. "I'm Lena." She didn't want to say her last name. It wouldn't get Kara's sister to stop glaring at her, anyway._ _

__

__"I hope your journey here was safe, Princess," Her betrothed let the hand that shook hers fall to the hilt of her sword in an unthreatening way, spinning a thumb around the end of it in a nervous way._ _

__

__Lena nodded carefully. She couldn't tell if the woman was just being kind to her in front of the guards and would drop the act away from prying eyes, or if she was genuinely showing her kindness. Lena didn't know her, she couldn't trust her... Yet. She glimpsed at the woman off to the left of her, still threatening her silently with her eyes._ _

__

__The blonde's smile didn't waver as she softly elbowed the woman in the side. "Alex, you're making her uncomfortable," She whispered so only the three of them could hear. "She's usually a big softy,"_ _

__

__Alex rolled her eyes and elbowed Kara right back. "No, I'm not."_ _

__

__Lena was surprised by the banter between the two sisters. If she had tried to joke like that with Lex then her tongue would most likely be cut out. She must have let a little bit of her surprise show on her face, as Kara and Alex quickly straightened up again._ _

__

__"If it's not too much trouble," Kara cleared her throat with one last glance at her sister, warning her with a look to quit being rude. "Would you allow me to show you the royal gardens? Unless you need to rest, I understand the journey was long and quite tiring." Kara suggested with a hopeful yet anxious look on her face._ _

__

__It puzzled Lena as to why the woman before her seemed so calm about this whole situation. They didn't know each other and were supposed to be getting married not long after today. She felt mentally exhausted from thinking about it over and over again. Lena just wanted to lie down in her bed and forget this was ever happening, but unfortunately, reality had demanded her attention._ _

__

__"I would love to see the gardens, Your Highness." Lena managed a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. It could be worse, She thought._ _

__

__{***}_ _

__

__After meeting Lena in the courtyard, Kara stood patiently outside of the gates to the royal gardens, waiting for her betrothed to arrive for a walk around the beautiful area. It felt weird to think about a woman she didn't know becoming her wife, but hopefully getting to know each other better would help ease the burden of having to marry soon. The princess sure didn't look evil by any means. When Kara first saw her she was taken aback slightly by how lovely she appeared, yet sad at the same time. The Kryptonian could see the faded tear tracks on her pale cheeks outside but didn't want to bring attention to her in that fashion. Kara wanted to remain as respectful as possible. It was better that way._ _

__

__Kara turned her head as one of the castle's doors open as Lena stepped outside wearing a different dress from earlier; a switch from black to a darker shade of purple that really accented the woman's curves and brought out her hair that was neatly braided back. She seemed more relaxed than when they first met, but if it went to plan they would exchange more than five words today._ _

__

__"Princess," Kara straightened herself up and signaled for the guards to stay by the door and to not follow them down the paths of flowers, sensing Lena's nervousness around the large men by her quickened heartbeat._ _

__

__"Your Highness." The shorter one addressed her._ _

__

__"Oh, please, you can call me Kara." She waved her off with a half smile. When Lena didn't respond, she continued. "It is my name, after all."_ _

__

__Lena nodded once, a silence growing between them as Kara opened the gate for her and herself, bowing her head in respect as Lena stepped through first, shutting it after she came through. Kara decided she did not like the silence, and quickly did something about it. "Would it be appropriate of me to speak freely with you for a moment?" She asked as they began their walk through a path filled with many different colors of roses and tulips._ _

__

__"You may," Lena told her. Kara briefly wondered when the last time was that the woman had spoken more than ten words during a conversation._ _

__

__Kara sucked in a breath of air, letting it out in a deep sigh before she opened her mouth. "I just wanted to say that I'm truly sorry about this position we've both been put in," Lena's eyes snapped to hers as they wandered aimlessly through the lush greenery together. "I know that you don't want to be here, and I know that you don't want to marry me," Kara paused, waiting to see if the woman beside her would react. "But I do wish to get to know you before we have to."_ _

__

__The raven-haired woman turned her to the ground, a somber look spreading across her face, and Kara instantly wanted to take back everything she had said because somehow it just effected her to see this girl so sad._ _

__

__"You have nothing to apologize for. I would appreciate getting to know you as well." Lena confirmed with the tiniest hint of a smile._ _

__

__"What do you like to do when you're not being a princess?" Kara asked with a raise of her eyebrow, jumping straight into the questions inside her curious brain._ _

__

__"I love to read," Lena started. "In Thorul there was a giant library filled with so many different books. I spent every hour that I possibly could reading away in that room until..." Lena trailed off, not wanting to bring the sad aspect of it to light._ _

__

__Kara caught her little pause and quickly spoke up. "We have a library in the palace if you'd like to see it."_ _

__

__"Truly?"_ _

__

__"Of course. If it makes you feel more welcome than just come and tell me if there's anything you need."_ _

__

__Lena didn't know how to properly respond to the woman smiling brightly down at her, so she just returned the smile, letting it reach her eyes this time. "Thank you, Kara."_ _

__

__The Kryptonian blushed. "It's the least I can do."_ _

__

__"Why are you being so kind to me?" Lena couldn't help it; she had to know if this was all just a trick._ _

__

__"Because you aren't my enemy. Not really." Kara immediately answered. Lena stayed silent to let her explain. "I was so angry about this arranged marriage for the first few days, but after I was able to be by myself and really ponder over it, I realize that I'm actually quite lucky."_ _

__

__This woman had a reputation recently for surprising Lena with her words. "I apologize, but I don't see how either of us are lucky in this situation," She murmured as she began to scratch her palm in exasperation._ _

__

__"Well, with a pretty face like your's I'm surprised you haven't already been married off." Kara blushed harder as she heard what she said had sounded much more suggestive than she intended._ _

__

__The panicked look on her face was apparently enough to make Lena laugh out loud. "I could say the same about you as well." She smirked and saw Kara's blue irises widen just a touch in the corner of her eye._ _

__

__Both women ignored the blushed coloring on their faces, Kara's reaching her neck and ears, becoming very warm from Lena's sudden playful attitude. She was relieved that her betrothed seemed to relax around her, even if she still appeared to be closed off. "Once we're back at the palace, would you like me to escort you to your room?"_ _

__

__"M-my room?" Lena was stunned by Kara's apparent forwardness._ _

__

__"N-No! Not in that way! Tha-That's not at..." The blonde gasped as she realized what Lena thought she was saying. "Just for you to rest…Without me. I didn't mean to imply-"_ _

__

__"It's alright, Kara, I understand." Lena chuckled at the taller woman's struggle for words. She thought Kara looked cute when she was flustered. Maybe the Kryptonian was right, they were lucky to gain some respect instead of instantly butting heads and pushing each other away. Lena didn't know why, but something about this woman with a beautiful smile and welcoming face helped her feel slightly better about getting sent away to a foreign land to wed a woman, a stranger._ _

__

__After a little while of walking through trails of flowers, blooming trees, and such, both princesses found themselves circled around back to the opening gates of the lush gardens, the taller of the two stepping forward to open the gate for Lena, who gave her a polite smile as she walked through. Kara saw it as progress; They had walked into the gardens with a heavy silence at first and had walked out wearing smiles._ _

__

__"Thank you for accompanying me today," The young Danvers led the other woman inside the castle. "And I'm sorry again that we had to meet under these circumstances."_ _

__

__"I'm not," Lena shook her head. "I still don't know you well enough yet, but you've already been very kind to me, even though I'm a Luthor."_ _

__

__Kara tilted her head to the side in thought. "At first I thought you would be like your brother. No offense, but he's not the nicest person I've ever heard of," That got a huff and smile out of Lena. "But you aren't like that at all. I can tell."_ _

__

__"What makes you so sure?" Lena cursed the hint of nervousness in her voice._ _

__

__"I know you haven't done anything wrong. People have talked about you and how you'll be just like your brother, but when you stepped out of that carriage this morning," Kara paused for a brief moment to gather the words in her mind. "I couldn't help but see behind all of that. I just saw a lovely young woman who didn't have a choice but to come to a whole new land and leave everything behind."_ _

__

__Lena heard a certain... sadness to Kara's words, a familiarity as she smiled sadly down at her, almost like she had been through it too. Lena made a mental note to one day ask her about it if she would tell her. The Luthor's had put on smiling faces every day around her, but as soon as she stepped the tiniest bit out of line, Lena was shouted at and put in her place harshly before she even had a chance to defend herself. It had only been a few hours since she arrived in Nationell Citi, but Lena somehow felt safer knowing that when she turned a corner, Lex or Lillian wouldn't be there to scowl at her or push her away for being useless._ _

__

__"I uh- I will ask for one of the servants to bring you some books to read tonight if you'd like that." Kara's smooth voice pulled her out of her mind._ _

__

__Lena bowed and decided to push the boundaries a little bit. "You won't bring them to me?" She smirked as Kara's eyebrows raised up to her hairline._ _

__

__"Wh-Wha-I mean-if you want me to."_ _

__

__Lena laughed and shook her head at the silly girl. "Good day, Kara." She opened and shut the door of her temporary room. She'd soon have to share with Kara, of course, leaving the woman outside to scramble her blushing self together. The rest of the Luthors were wrong; this Danvers was no heathen, she was (as far as Lena could tell) a lovely young woman with a good heart. Perhaps this could be better than she thought._ _

__

__{***}_ _

__

__"How did it go?" Alex sat with Kara in the older sister's chambers, originally inviting her in to have a little sisterly chat, but eventually dug right into the business about the Luthor Princess._ _

__

__Kara glanced down at her feet as she responded. "It went well. She opened up to me a little more."_ _

__

__"Oh, so she told you she'd stab you before she did it?"_ _

__

__"Alex! Lena isn't like that." Kara smacked her sister on the shoulder._ _

__

__"Lena? What happened to you? You're acting like she's not our biggest enemy." Alex snapped out as she imagined her little sister wedding the sibling of Lex Luthor. She couldn't help but think that it was all a plan to make a connection to the throne so that Lex would have a way to steal it from them again._ _

__

__"Listen, I may not be the smartest person in the kingdom, but at least I can tell when somebody is telling the truth, and I could tell Lena was genuinely saddened today," Kara explained with a sudden determination shining in her eyes. "So I would like it if you would be nice to her and remember that she's also being forced to marry."_ _

__

__The older Danvers worked her jaw for a second, unsure of what to say. "I just don't want you to be hurt, Kara. You always look for the best in people, even if it gets you in trouble." She reached out to lay her hand over the Kryptonian's, meeting her eyes with equal determination._ _

__

__"I know you worry for me, and I love you for it, but it's my choice to see past her family and judge her for what she had done," Kara dropped her voice to a whisper. "And so far as I can tell, she hasn't done anything wrong."_ _

__

__That took Alex by surprise. Kara was right. In many letters of news and reports about the Luthors and their plots to overthrow them and steal the throne, not one letter mentioned anything about Lena, or her wrongdoings. She just appeared with her brother in public outings and celebratory feasts around the kingdoms. Alex really couldn't name anything the princess had done wrong, but despite that, it still didn't mean she could trust her._ _

__

__"You seem to like her though." She pointed out with a raised eyebrow._ _

__

__"Well, I am marrying her," Kara rolled her eyes, her blush giving away her lie. "It helps that she's beautiful." She chuckled with a shrug._ _

__

__"So are you," Alex affirmed, moving a stray strand of Kara's golden locks behind her ear from where they sat on her bed, resting her hand on the blonde's cheek. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now having to marry her, and yet your still Sunny Kara."_ _

__

__Kara's smile grew as she leaned into her sister's touch. "I'm still going to be me, Alex. Nobody is going to change that." She scooted forward to wrap her arm around her neck. "I'm not going anywhere, but I can't do this without you."_ _

__

__"You never have to," Alex returned the hug, squeezing her sister tighter, knowing full well she could take it. They pulled away with a firm pat on the older woman's back. "You're stuck with me." Both sisters let out watery laughs as they held in their emotions._ _

__

__"I do have one concern, though," Alex bit her lip, lowering her attention down to her lap, understanding the sensitive situation. "How long until the day of the wedding?"_ _

__

__Kara sighed heavily and flopped down on her back against the mattress with a groan, her hands coming up to run through her hair. "Eliza said that we are to be married in three days time, starting tomorrow. However, I have a plan," Her face split into an even wider grin. Alex recognized the mischievous sparkle in her little sister’s eyes._ _

__

__"What are you up to this time?" Alex gave in, lying down next to her sister._ _

__

__"I figured I should propose to Lena."_ _

__

__"What? Are you mad?" Alex shot up. "You're already engaged."_ _

__

__"Well, the Kingdom of Krypton believed in proposing with a wedding band, or a bracelet, but I can still use a ring." She revealed as her sister calmed down again. "I just don't think I should marry Lena if I haven't even done the first step yet."_ _

__

__"Kara, the first step would be courting her." Alex teased, accepting the poke in her side in response._ _

__

__"I took her for a tour of the gardens today; that counts, right?" She said._ _

__

__"Yeah, sure," Alex smirked. "I'm certain it was the best date ever."_ _

__

__"You think so?" Kara questioned, completely oblivious to the fact that her sister was joking with her._ _

__

__"You're a dork," Alex shook her head, her turn to cuff Kara on the shoulder. "Why are you worrying yourself so thin over making sure she likes you? What if she never returns the favor?" She raised a hand up to stop her sister before she could interrupt. "I know she hasn't done anything evil, but how do you know it's going to stay that way?"_ _

__

__"I don't, but I choose to have a little faith in her," Kara replied, narrowing her eyes. "And maybe you should too."_ _

__

__"You're not supposed to get along with in-laws," Alex joked softly, bumping Kara on the shoulder with her's. "If it matters that much to you, fine. I just want you to be safe."_ _

__

__"You're the best, Alex." Kara pressed a kiss to her cheek._ _

__

__{***}_ _

__

__Kara brought Lena the books later that night, knocking respectfully and giving the tired princess a wave goodnight, smiling the whole way back to her own room._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it good? Tell me what you think!
> 
> Next Chapter: Monday, April 1st, 2019


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does not have a lot of dialogue, but it is one of the most important chapters for the plot of this Medieval AU, so I would suggest reading it all of the way through. It might be a little bit of an information dump, but it's very necessary.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -L

The room Lena was given held many interesting things inside, unlike her very plain room in Thorul. At the Luthor palace, her room was small and cleaned, save for a few trinkets on the vanity next to her bed. Her room at the Danvers Kingdom was much bigger, her bedsheets and curtains made of silk that Lena enjoyed running her hands over while she read. The servants had placed her dresses in the wardrobe, as well as one or two different pairs of shoes, Lena finding the leather boots to be the most comfortable. Sleeping that night was an interesting experience:

 

She woke up that night from a nightmare as usual, able to slap a hand over her mouth before a scream broke loose and woke up half the staff. Her nightmares were no surprise, but at least she was able to read until she fell asleep once again, thanks to Kara. The books that she had received from the blonde ranged from different styles of adventure, history, and mystery. Lena blushed when Kara had brought them to her, not expecting her to do so at all. She had to admit that her soon-to-be wife was quite attractive, and seemed very friendly to many people. Lena still felt like the woman she was marrying was a stranger, but she was able to find out some things about her, writing them down on a piece of parchment found in her side table...

 

1) Kara had a close relationship with her sister.  
2) She also looked nothing like her sister.  
3) The servants called her 'Miss Kara' instead of 'Princess.'  
4) Said Princess looked exquisite in a suit.  
5) Kara's eyes were the purest form of blue she had ever seen.

 

The last two were the only things Lena was one hundred percent sure about. Seeing Kara in person lit a spark inside of her. If she had to be forced to be married to somebody, at least they were cute. The first four she couldn't quite wrap her head around. Alexandra–or Alex for short, Lena could tell she did not like to be called her full name–came across as very serious and tightly-wound, but when Kara interacted with her she started to behave like a child, rolling her eyes and grumbling.

 

Although they were both beautiful women, Lena didn't actually notice any similarities between them. Their eyes were different colors, their hair, different bone structure and face-shape. It was odd, but perhaps one looked a lot like their mother, the other like their father.

 

The third was also intriguing to think about. With the Luthor's servants, they were instructed to call her Lady, Princess, or Your Highness, but the servants she had come across in the castle on the way back to her room with Kara had bowed politely to her, uttering a 'Miss Kara' under their breath that forced Lena to take a pause before continuing in their conversation. Maybe it was not needed to greet a member of the royal family by addressing them with a title in this Kingdom. Lena thought that at first until she overhead some of the staff talking about Queen Elizabeth Danvers, saying things like 'Your Grace' or 'Her Majesty.'

 

Nevertheless, Lena would be lying if she said that being in Nationell Citi felt a little better then being with the Luthors, but it was still scary. The Luthors were cruel, yes, but they were the only family she had ever possessed. from the time she could remember, Lena always felt as though she didn't fit in as a Luthor, and Lillian never helped. She constantly reminded Lena that she was just a bastard, the product of a drunken night, a mistake. After years of that being pounded into her head, Lena found it harder and harder to not believe it. That's what she was, anyway; a slip in the Luthor family.

 

Even in the short, short time she had known Kara, that feeling of...guilt had faded away, for a little bit. Whether it be the fact that Lena looked up and saw a beautiful person or a person she was being forced to wed, it didn't slip past her attention that it just felt right, in a way. She knew she sounded crazy. Lena had known her for all of ten hours, and yet her gut was telling her something about this arrangement would be for the better.

 

But then again, Lena's gut had been wrong before.

 

{***}

 

The next morning the young Luthor awoke almost peacefully with the sun shining down in blinding beams that lit up the whole room. After a quick look at her surroundings, she realized that she fell asleep in the middle of a book, the novel shoved aside on her bed, halfway read through a few pages bent a tad out of place from her movement as she slept. Glancing out the window to see the absence of people, Lena decided it was too early to roam the castle by herself. Pulling the covers over her lap, she grabbed the book beside her and continued to read where she left off...

 

Lena skimmed through the pages until she found the last page she could remember reading. It was a list of all Seven Kingdoms and its rulers.

 

**History of The Seven Kingdoms  
Written in 1824 by Roger Scott.**

**The Nationell Citi Kingdom. Ruled by: The Danvers Family.**  
_The Capital of the 7 kingdoms, home to the greatest Royal Family, the Danvers. King Jeremiah reigned alongside his wife, Elizabeth Danvers, for 15 years. After his death, Eliza reigned in his stead. The heirs to the throne are their children, Alexandra Danvers, and Kara Danvers. Because of the kingdom’s location, it is known one of the most beautiful kingdoms._

_Known for its great wealth and generous rulers._

 

**The Thorul Kingdom. Ruled by: The Luthor Family.**  
_The Thorul Kingdom is the 2nd most wealthy kingdom, just behind the Nationell Citi Kingdom. The Luthor family has been the only family to sit upon its throne, keeping the strictest bloodline out of all 7 kingdoms. Lionel Luthor had ruled for 18 years until his death, where his son, Alexander Luthor, took his place after his mother, Lillian Luthor, stepped down from the throne. The only heir to the kingdom is the current king’s sister, Lena Luthor._

_Known for its Power and determined Government._

 

**The Daxam Kingdom. Ruled by: The Gand Family.**  
_The Kingdom of Daxam is a very opinionated land. Its rulers, Lar Gand, and Rhea Gand, have ruled the kingdom for over 20 years, maintaining respect among the people that live among the land. The heir to the Daxamite throne is King Lar Gand and Queen Rhea Gand’s son, Lar Gand the 2nd._

_Known for its grand celebrations and long-lasting rulers._

 

**The Starr Citi Kingdom: Ruled by: The Allen Family.**  
_The Starr Citi Kingdom got its wealth because of its incredibly agile warhorses. Because of the horses' amazing speed and strength, many other kingdoms have bought the animals for their armies. Its current rulers are King Bartholomew Allen and his wife, Iris Allen. The throne’s heir is their only daughter, Nora Allen._

_Known for its powerful warhorses and charitable leaders._

 

**The Centralle Kingdom: Ruled by; The Queen Family.**  
_The Centralle Kingdom is the home of one of the oldest castles known to man, and it still stands. It’s over 800 years old and can be found in the center of the Hold, hence the name ‘The Centralle Kingdom.’ The great Land’s rulers are King Oliver Queen and his wife, Felicity Queen, formerly Felicity Smoak. The heirs to the kingdom are King Oliver’s son, William Clayton, next in line is King Oliver and Queen Felicity’s daughter, Mia Queen-Smoak._

_Known for its ancient buildings and its mighty soldiers._

 

**The Meedia Kingdom. Ruled by: The Grant Family.**  
_The Meedia Kingdom has been ruled by very stubborn and brave royals. The current Queen of the kingdom, Catherine Grant, has gained a reputation for being one of the most ruthless rulers of history, able to get her way without the blood and mess other Kings and Queens have made before her. The previous heir, Adam Grant, withdrew himself from the ability to inherit the throne, making the heir his brother, Carter Grant._

_Known for being one of the best trading enterprises throughout the 7 kingdoms._

 

**The Kingdom of Krypton. Ruled by: The Family of El.**  
_The Kingdom of Krypton used to be the Capital of the 7 kingdoms before its destruction many years ago. Krypton was rich in money, valuables, and incredible inventions. The people of Krypton were vastly intelligent, and its army was considered to be unbeatable. The reason for this was because supposedly thousands of years ago before it became a wasteland, Kryptonians worshiped an old god of their sacred religion, Rao. They believed that the sun was Rao’s light, a gift to the followers of him. They believed that the light of the sun gave them unimaginably marvelous powers, enhanced human abilities. Because of the sun, Rao’s Light, it is said that they had amazing strength, speed, and stamina, hence why they were considered unbeatable during battle. Apparently, Kryptonians only had this power underneath a yellow sun, and Krypton was said to have red sun energy in its soil, explaining why supposedly it had always looked like the sun was set in only that single part of the world. They were said to live on the red sun energy because they thought that they were not worthy of the great power of the yellow sun energy._

_It is also written that Lionel Luthor had discovered a rare mineral that could weaken Kryptonians, living right underneath the wealthy kingdom. The rulers of Krypton refused to bend to his wishes of digging up this material to make fine weapons and jewelry, So the late King Lionel Luthor organized an attack to destroy the kingdom, secretly stealing large amounts of Kryptonite in order to make weapons to defeat the Kryptonian warriors._

_When the Luthors and the Kryptonians went to war, heavy losses were taken on both sides. During the battle, it is said that with every Kryptonian life took, the whole land grew weaker and weaker. Slaughtering every Kryptonian into pieces, Lionel Luther ordered his soldiers to kill off the royal family, making sure nothing was left of the kingdom. It is said that once the last members of Krypton were killed, the loss of the Kingdoms royalty caused Rao to be angry, the kryptonite underneath the large kingdom exploded right from underneath the soldiers' feet. Lionel Luthor, as well as many others, were caught in the explosion and almost every Luthor soldier was killed, the Kryptonite from below the ground of the kingdom showering down upon the earth and killing off every last Kryptonian._

_The last known rulers of the Kingdom of Krypton were King Zor-El and Queen Alura Zor-El. They only had one heir, a young daughter whose name was never discovered. Although the whole Kryptonian race was whipped out, the daughter’s body was never found, perhaps too small for anyone to recover anything in the giant wasteland that used to be the House of El’s home._

 

Lena stopped before she got to the lesser provenances of the 7 kingdoms, tossing her book away to the foot of the silk bed and pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Her own father was responsible for the death of a whole nation of individuals. The young Luthor remembered being only nine years old when it was announced that her father had died fighting to destroy Krypton. The brunette didn't understand fully what had happened at such a young age, so she relied on gossip and books to learn what exactly occurred to the Capital of the 7 Kingdoms. Lena dreamed of visiting Krypton when she was a little girl, her father promising to one day show her the beautiful kingdom, but when Lionel waged a war between the kingdoms her mother told her to get the foolish notion out of her head, threatening to keep Lena locked away in her room until she accepted that going to Krypton would never happen. Still, Lena would catch herself imagining what the kingdom would look like if it hadn't been destroyed from time to time.

 

A knock at her door prompted Lena to compose herself as best as she could on top of the mattress, clearing her throat before calling for the servant to come in.

 

"Good morning, Your Grace," A tall brunette servant entered her quarters pushing a small cart in front of her holding a metal tray of several colorful looking fruits. "I trust you slept well, My Lady?"

 

Lena nodded politely to her, taking a moment to study the woman as she pushed the cart further into the room, just next to the small table beside one of the windows. She didn't look familiar to Lena, which was strange, considering she had already seen and interacted with many different staff members in her short time here.

 

"What's your name?" She asked.

 

"I am Samantha, My Lady, but everyone just calls me Sam." The woman finished arranging the breakfast on the table, bowing her head lightly as she introduced herself. "Miss Kara asked me to bring you breakfast and see if you needed anything."

 

"Thank you," Lena smiled as she lifted up the covers and swing her legs over the side of the bed. There it is again. Miss Kara.

 

"She also asked me to give you this," Sam lifted up a small envelope, walking closer to hand it to her.

 

The princess stood to accept the letter, smiling as she looked down at the note with 'Lena' scrawled elegantly across the front. _Of course she has perfect handwriting,_ Lena thought as she began to tare it open from the back, careful not to ruin the pretty calligraphy at the face of the envelope. She took the note out of the envelope, but before she read the note a question remained at the tip of her tongue.

 

"Why do you call her 'Miss Kara?'" She turned to the servant.

 

"Because she asked me to. In fact, she asks all of the staff too." Sam clarified with a fond smile as she made quick work of remaking the large bed. "Does that bother you, My Lady?"

 

"No," Lena hesitated. She wondered how much she should share with a stranger. "It just caught me by surprise, is all. In Thorul the maids never so much as made small talk with me, let alone call me by my first name."

 

Sam nodded wistfully in understanding. "Would you like me to call you 'Miss Lena' as well?" she offered.

 

Lena thought about it for a moment. This was new territory, becoming familiar with people in a way she never could before. It felt... good. Good to leave a small piece of her behind and start to grow into someone new. Not just a Luthor, not just the sister of a wicked king. "You may." She found herself answering with an easy grin.

 

"Yes, Miss Lena." Sam curtsied, hiding her smirk as she turned around to push the cart back out of the room.

 

Once the door was closed again Lena unfolded the note from Kara, flipping it right side up and read the gracefully written script:

 

__

**********  
_~Lena,_  
_I cannot be there in person to give you this letter, because while you're reading this I am currently training with my sister. Alex feels the need to bet on me with the other soldiers that I can't handle myself in combat against her so early in the morning, and I'd love to see her face when she's forced to hand over her money to the knights._  
Anyway, I felt compelled to address you in a letter rather than in person, as what I'm about to say would most likely result in me blabbering my mouth off like a fish, as I'm sure you've seen me do before during our walk through the gardens. I've been told that I tend to do that in front of beautiful women.  


__

_For as long as I could remember the only concerns I had in my mind were when I'd receive my first sword, what it would feel like if I fell off my horse, or making sure that Alex never found out whenever I actually did fall off of my horse. But the day I was told that I would be marrying the princess of Thorul, I forgot about all of that. Suddenly my concerns were that it just wasn't fair, I that would not be able to choose the person I'd marry and cherish for the rest of my life. It hadn't occurred to me until hours of stressing the thought over and over in my head for many nights that you might feel the same way. This isn't fair to you that you cannot choose the person you want to marry and cherish either. Like I told you yesterday, I know that you don't want to be here, and I know that you don't want to marry me._

__

_My mother has informed me that the wedding must take place in three days, allowing other nobles the time needed travel to Nationell Citi. If you are willing, I would greatly appreciate it if you would accompany me tonight for dinner so we can further get to know each other. Please do not feel obligated to join me, I understand if it's too much right now and you need more time._

__

_I look forward to seeing you again,_

__

_~Kara  
_ **********

 

Lena felt her chest aching, figuring out the pain came from her lack of breath for the past few seconds as she read the letter. She was confused. She didn't know what to feel anymore. Every minute since her brother told her that she would be marrying the enemy, the heir to the throne Lex had been trying to obtain following the death of their father, Lena had never been shown such kindness by another human before. A heavy height had settled itself on her shoulders, pushing down on her original thoughts about Kara Danvers.

 

The young Luthor knew she had a tendency to overthink things. Growing up as she did with the Luthors as her family, it felt like she was a scared little mouse inside of an open cage. She could leave, she could go anywhere and be free as long as she didn't get caught, but she was too frightened to take the step and escape, waiting for whether or not someone would come by and slam the door shut. The longer she sat in that open cage, the more impatient the people on the outside of the cage became, until eventually they removed her by force and cast her away. Lena was now free, out of that enclosure, but at the same time, the cage was the only place she knew. Everything else, good or bad, was scary because it wasn't familiar.

 

Nationell Citi wasn't familiar. Smiling faces weren't familiar. Kara Danvers was certainly not familiar, but Lena had enough. Lena had enough of sitting around in a cage when she could easily get out and explore her surroundings, explore a new relationship. From the letter alone, Lena could tell that Kara was trying so hard to embrace her instead of pushing her away. Even if it wasn't familiar, even if it was scary, keeping her distance from the woman she'd soon be calling her wife was the wrong move. Damn her family and whatever they told her about the Danvers Kingdom. Lena had to build trust with new people; she had to listen with her head and with her heart...

 

And right now, Lena's heart was nearly overwhelmed with fondness as she imagined a charming blonde with a beautiful smile and kind soul who just wanted to make her happy. Lena ran trembling fingers over Kara's writing, rereading and remembering what the princess had said.

 

'I know that you don't want to marry me.'

 

The hopelessness in that sentence filled Lena's heart with dread. Just watching how kara interacted with herself and with others explained to her how positive she was, yet that sentence dripped with uncertainty and doubt, something she could guess was very unlike Kara. Lena wished she could say it out loud, but she couldn't quite trust her voice at the moment. If she had to marry anyone at this point and time, her mind and her core both agreed upon one person. 

 

Maybe Lena was speaking too soon. Perhaps it was too early to tell, but she felt relatively certain her head was and her heart shared the same feeling about Kara Danvers.

 

{***}

 

As she blocked a ferocious swing for her jugular Kara's sword clashed with Alex's resulting in a loud _clang_ to be heard throughout the training grounds. The younger deflected another attempt at her shoulder, tucking her knees up to her chest as she rolled underneath Alex to the other side of her, standing herself upright again just in time to knock the auburn-haired woman in the back with the hilt of her sword, allowing Kara some time to recover. Alex stumbled forward roughly, eventually falling to the ground after not being able to get her feet underneath her body properly.

 

"Come on, Alex. That's the third time I've whipped you to the ground in today. Something on your mind? Someone?" She suggested with a raise of her eyebrows and a slight tilt of her head.

 

"Whatever you're implying, stop it right this instant," Alex demanded as she pushed herself back on her feet, dusting off the front of her tunic. 

 

"You weren't as easy to disarm before Maggie," Kara whispered so only her sister could hear. She knew that Alex's relationship with the knight was not exactly public knowledge. The Kryptonian sheathed her sword.

 

The older Danvers scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You're not so focused anymore either. Care to share?" 

 

"I'm not saying anything to you." Kara crossed her arms and turned her chin away from Alex's sharp gaze, resembling a pouting child. If she wouldn't talk about her girl, then neither would she. Not that Lena was her girl by any means. She definitely wasn't thinking about that. Nope.

 

"Who would have thought?" When Kara looked her way with a puzzled look, Alex continued with a smirk across her features. "Both of us having girl trouble."

 

Kara huffed. "Oh, save it."

 

"Seriously though, how's it coming along?" Alex sobered up as both sisters began to make their way over to the palace, itching to clean themselves off. "I mean, with the whole 'getting to know her' thing?"

 

"I'd like to think it's going along alright," Kara sighed, completely spent. "I wrote her a letter, inviting her to have dinner with me tonight."

 

Alex eyed her sister with surprise. "Well, that's good." She said, but when Kara's face still held a weary expression, she pressed on. "Isn't it?"

 

The blonde shook her head, scratching the bridge of her nose with her thumb, briefly pursing her lips together; a tick Alex recognized in her sister whenever Kara was frustrated or distracted with something. "I guess it is, I just didn't expect it to be so easy."

 

"What's easy?"

 

"Being around her," Kara answered simply, look straight ahead as she gestured every now and then with her hands. "After what happened to Krypton because of the Luthors I expected to not even be able to look at her without thinking about home..." She paused, having trouble articulating her thoughts into words. "Though that's not the case at all. Lena's shy, kind, humble, funny. She'd not the person I thought she'd be by any means."

 

"What kind of person did you expect her to be?" Alex questioned carefully, sensing Kara's difficulty with speaking on the theme of their conversation.

 

"Well, for one, I didn't expect her to be so attractive." She cuffed Alex harshly on the shoulder when she snorted. "I'm being serious! The second Lena got out of that carriage I just felt... fascinated. And I know it sounds stupid because I've only known her for a day, but my gut is telling me that Lena's not anything like her family, and if anyone can say that, it's me."

 

Alex nodded along, wincing at the last bit. "Is your gut usually right?"

 

"About everything," Kara confirmed with a firm nod. "Yet everyone else tells me that I trust too easily. Ugh, my brain hurts."

 

"It doesn't take much to do that, I'd reckon," Alex teased, blocking the next smack to the back of her head. "I'm kidding. Just listen to your heart, but don't let it rule your head." She threw her arm over Kara's shoulder, hoping to lighten the mood a smidgen.

 

"Who knew you were so smart. Does Maggie know her girlfriend's a genius? Or is it the fact that you're a softly that she's attracted to?" Kara laughed and dodged Alex's smack at her face, wiggling out from underneath her arm and sprinting for the palace, ignoring Alex's calls of 'I'm gonna get you' and 'come back here.' She didn't stop until she was safe inside the castle, giggling all the way back up to her quarters.

 

Little did she know that just across the hallway, Lena paced back and forth inside her bedroom, wondering what she was going to wear to dinner that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am available to be a beta reader/editor for you if needed.  
> Please contact me on my Instagram account, @i_remain_lost or my email, iremainlost@gmail.com
> 
> Next Chapter: Sunday, April 7th, 2019
> 
> -L


	4. Chapter 4

This was ridiculous. Kara stood at the foot of her bed checking herself in the tall mirror. If she was going to have a nice dinner with Lena, then she at least wanted to look presentable. Alex had told her many times that she looked good in suits, so she gave in and rummaged through her different outfits before trying on one of her favorites: A black blazer, the sleeves ending just above her elbows, the slim pants hugging to her sides comfortably. The Kryptonian left a few buttons undone on the white undershirt, the blazer buttoned together at the front of her waist. She decided against donning her sword-belt for this occasion, not wanting to wear a weapon about her hips around the princess. She noticed how nervous Lena was around the guards yesterday, so it most likely wouldn’t be the best idea to bring a sword with her for a simple feast.

 

She smiled briefly at her appearance before returning serious again. Kara had never been on a date with anyone, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't anxious. The Kryptonian had lived through combat with bandits and thieves, dangerous hunting expeditions, her Kingdom's destruction, and much more, yet just the thought of Lena Luthor made her a nervous wreck. In a good way.

 

"This is insane," Kara muttered to herself out loud, raking a hand through her hair to help tame it a little. It was insane. Surely she had nothing to be worried about. Tonight was just about getting to know her bride better before sealing the deal in a few days time. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. No way. _There you go with that overthinking again,_ Kara could practically hear Alex's voice in the back of her conscious.

 

With one last glance up and down at herself in the mirror, Kara took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself before opening her bedroom door and stepping out into the hallway, only having to take a couple of paces to the left until she found Lena's door, hesitating to knock on the door, fist raised in the air. _Just do it,_ she scolded herself. _It will go fine, just don't behave like an idiot._

 

Kara hurried up and knocked softly on Lena's door before she got stuck in her thoughts. She held her breath as no noise came from the other side for a few seconds. Shortly after, Kara perked up at the sound footsteps coming closer. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the one and only Lena Luthor, outfitted finely in an emerald green dress that hugged her curves in the most perfect way, falling loosely around her ankles. Kara noticed she wasn't wearing gloves this time. She looked modest, and that somehow made her even more beautiful.

 

"Y-Your Grace," Kara failed immediately at not sounding like an idiot. To be honest, it was harder than it seemed around this woman.

 

"Kara," Lena smiled graciously, stepping out into the hallway to join her. The way she said her name, with a hint of curiosity and an almost sultry tone, it made Kara instantly want to listen to her say it again.

 

She covered up her thoughts behind a shy half smile. "I assume you got my letter?" The blonde asked, hopeful that the reason Lena was dressed up was because of her invitation.

 

"I did," Lena responded, shutting her door behind her. In the candlelight of the halls, Kara could make out beautifully sewn spirals in a darker green color than the rest of her dress, the familiarity of their walk through the gardens striking up in her mind because of the pretty floral design. "It was very sweet."

 

That last bit surprised Kara. She had almost forgotten everything she had written in that letter, too focused on worrying about whether or not Lena would accept her invitation for dinner. "Th-Thank you," She blushed easily, not quite sure what to say.

 

They stood in a comfortable silence for what felt like minutes to Kara but thankfully was only a few seconds before the blonde remembered her sole purpose of being there. "I came to escort you to our meal, Your Grace," Kara gestured towards her right, where the stairs down to the lower portion of the castle led to the dining space.

 

"Thank you," Lena grinned naturally. "I must confess, I am grateful you're here to show me the way; I fear I might have gotten lost along the way," She admitted timidly, beginning to walk side by side with the taller woman. "This building is very... big."

 

"It is. I imagined the Thorul palace was bigger, though, or possibly the same size." She wondered out loud, glancing up in thought.

 

"I wouldn't know. I never got to...explore very much." Lena added quietly. "My mother did not like it when she didn't know where I was." A hitch in Kara's step had Lena wondering if she had shared too much with her. The Luthor glanced briefly over in her direction, a shy expression visible on her face.

 

"Have you left your quarters during your stay here yet?" Kara asked, voice soft with concern, slowly continuing forward.

 

Lena's gaze pointed to the ground to hide her unexpected shame. "No."

 

"But you arrived well over a day ago," She stated, a puzzled look growing upon her face.

 

"Yes," The raven-haired woman nodded simply as they descended the staircase. It was more narrow than the hallway, forcing the pair to walk a little closer to each other.

 

She had only known her for a short time, but Kara knew that when Lena responded with very simple, brief words, it meant that she felt uncomfortable or embarrassed. "Lena, if you want to leave your room I will not stop you. I'd prefer it if you felt as welcomed as possible." She insisted earnestly.

 

"I know you mean well, I just figured other's take kindly to a Luthor wandering around the castle." She replied with her eyes downcast. She was fiddling with her fingernails.

 

"If anyone is giving trouble in this kingdom then I'll...I'll beat them up for you," Kara affirmed, nodding her head in a manner of firm persistence.

 

Her statement got a little laugh out of Lena, mentally patting herself on the back for it. "As splendid as that sounds, I wouldn't want the perfect princess' reputation to fall because of that." She smirked, directing the conversation into a more playful spirit.

 

Kara gasped and put a hand to her chest in mock offense. "Perfect Princess? I will have you know that I am not as spotless as people might believe."

 

"Oh? And what have you done in your life that was so evil?" Lena raised an eyebrow in a teasing way.

 

Kara grasped her chin in contemplation. "Once I snuck out of the castle late at night to go riding. Before I could leave the palace, Alex caught me creeping out and ran after me." She recalled with an amused smile. "She chased me around until I lost her near the kitchens. I waited until I couldn't hear her looking for me anymore before sneaking back up to my room and fell back to sleep. When I woke up, it turns out the entire palace was searching for me throughout the night, thinking I was kidnapped or something. Alex did not talk to me for two days."

 

Lena giggled when she finished her story, briefly pressing a hand up to cover her mouth. "Alright, I take it back," She laughed out. "I guess you do have your evil moments."

 

Kara beamed, giving herself another mental high-five. As she was telling her the story from when she was younger, forgetting about her worries all the way to the kitchen. Bonus points for getting the Luthor to laugh. Kara quickly moved in front of Lena, opening the door for her to step through into the dining area.

 

Lena looked around the new room, eyes instantly connecting with the table in the center of the space, decorated neatly with a white tablecloth, the silverware and gold spiraled plates appeared to be rather expensive, a vibrant assortment of flowers sat atop the surface in a stained-glass vase to help bring the attention straight to the center of the room. The candles lit on the table helped give the space a warm, dim glow.

 

"Do you like it?" Kara urged lightly, waiting patiently for an answer as the raven-haired princess studied the room.

 

"It's amazing," Lena said in quiet amazement, still gazing around the dining area as Kara led them closer to their table. 

 

"I'm glad you like it." Kara smiled and pulled out Lena's chair gesturing with one of her free hands for her to sit, watching as the shorter woman came forward and dipped her head in thanks before sitting down on the mahogany chair, Kara gently pushing her closer to the table before turning around to sit herself down. "Only the best for the best." She added with a cheeky smile.

 

Lena seemed surprised by her company's sudden bravery, easily sliding into her own teasing nature. "The best? Are we talking about me or you?"

 

"Yourself, of course." Kara had been relatively certain that she would fire something back at her, so she gathered her wits and flowed with the subject, joking along instead of blubbering out useless nothings as she would normally do.

 

However, Lena did expect Kara to stammer, or at least blush half as hard as she currently was at the blonde's remark. The Young Danvers chuckled when Lena rolled her eyes and dipped her head for a brief moment, accepting defeat. "Well played, Your Grace."

 

"Why, thank you." Kara beamed, pausing to shift the collar of her suit about into a more comfortable position.

 

Shortly after a few more teasing jokes and light humor was thrown back and forth between the two, the main doors of the dining room gently opened and two maids came into view holding two large trays of food, their mouths already watering at the smell of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and steamed vegetables. The servants expertly set the plates of food down on the table, one of the women taking the vase of flowers with her to give the princesses more space.

 

"Your Graces," They curtsied in greeting. "Is there anything else we can get for you?" 

 

Noticing that they weren't looking at her for an answer, Lena didn't respond. "I'm quite alright. Do you need anything, Lena?" Kara glanced over to her with an inquiring look.

 

"No, thank you." She spoke just above a whisper to the servants. Even if Kara told her it was alright to ask if she needed anything, the Luthor still felt slightly nervous about asking for anything toward the staff or her betrothed just yet. She was aware that many people didn't trust her because of her last name, especially the Danvers Kingdom.

 

Once the servants left and closed the big doors behind them, Kara wasted no time dishing herself up a plate: Golden brown slices of bread, steam drifting up from the fresh loaf, of course taking some of the savory meat, and Lena noticed more carrots on the blonde's plate than any other vegetables. Once done, she set her plate down and looked at Lena expectantly, hands folded neatly in front of her.

 

"Are you not hungry?" Kara questioned, raising her eyebrows. There it was again...a shy expression that Kara couldn't quite describe using words, but it was a certain look that she had seen in the woman one or two times. Not that she was counting.

 

"No, it's not that," Lena stopped herself for a moment, bringing her bottom lip between her teeth temporarily. "I simply wasn't expecting such a...beautiful meal." It was the truth. With the way the room looked, and the food was not lacking any rich qualities whatsoever.

 

"Only the best for the best." Kara shrugged, echoing her previous statement. Lena looked up, about to laugh at the princess smug look on her face, only to not find one. Kara appeared to be completely serious about what she had said. "Here," the blonde held out her hand near Lena's plate, implying for her to hand it to her. "I'll dish it up for you."

 

Lena smiled again, a strange feeling fluttering about inside of her as she watched Kara ask her what she'd like from the assortment of edibles before scooping them onto her plate. Tonight was going well. Both women hoped that it would stay that way.

 

{***}

 

They ate their dinner in silence, save for the occasional clink of silverware on the dishes or footsteps outside the doors. Lena was truly surprised at how much Kara could eat, the blonde filling up her plate one more time after eating everything on it, stopping herself from filling up a third helping, not wanting Lena to think she was acting sloppy. Once both princesses finished their food and the maids cleared away the dishes, Kara cleared her throat and messed with the collar of her suit again, nervous about bringing up the subject she had been dreading all night. 

 

"I uh—I wanted to speak with you regarding the wedding," Kara started, wincing when Lena visibly tensed. "The ceremony is planned to be in two days tomorrow, and we received a message from your brother that he and your mother will also be arriving by morning."

 

Lena clenched her jaw at the mention of her family. It was hard enough marrying someone she barely knew, but knowing that her mother and brother would be in the crowd as she espouses a woman. Lena had known for some time that men did not appeal to her, seeing how her eyes would drift over to women during feasts and parties, tending to stay away from the noblemen, who were not gentlemen in the slightest. It was not marrying a member of the same sex that bothered her, it was the fact that it bothered her family. Lena envisioned quite a bit of nasty comments in the future.

 

"Okay." She settled on keeping her mouth shut, knowing that nothing she could say would change anything.

 

"I'm sorry you don't get a say in this—"

 

"You don't have a say in it either. Why are you sorry?" Lena snapped, frustration laced in her tone.

 

Kara shrunk into herself inside her seat. "I just assumed you'd want to know when they would be here." She tried to reason with her, but the anger in Lena's eyes grew rather quickly from where she sat.

 

"I didn't know Lex would ship me away like a dog. I didn't know he would wed me off to a stranger, and I didn't know you would be so unbothered by this whole charade." Lena stared down at her lap, refusing to meet Kara's regretful gaze. A loud sigh left her lips, the knot in her stomach rising up to her throat, tears shining in her eyes from pure frustration. _Don't cry, you stupid girl,_ Lillian's voice admonished her in her head. _Luthors don’t cry._

 

"Hey," Kara warned. She felt like the situation was unfair to both of them, and she had been trying to be nice and trying to help Lena feel as safe as possible, but even the Kryptonian could bend every now and then. "I understand how you feel. Maybe not completely, but I do understand how hard it is. I never thought my mother would marry me off to a stranger either."

 

Lena was shocked at her tone, checking herself to make sure her jaw didn't drop. In all the short time she had known Kara, the princess never once saw the smiley blonde bite back like she just did. Kara furrowed her brow in frustration, and Lena immediately regretted lashing out. "I apologize, and I deserved that; You've been nothing but kind and understanding with me, and yet here I am getting upset over my own problems with Lex and my mother." She finally met Kara's eyes, eyebrows lowered slightly in shame.

 

Kara sighed, shaking her head as her back met the chair. "No, it's—"

 

"Wait, please just let me say this," Lena held up a hand to stop her. "Reading your letter helped me understand that although this arranged marriage isn't what either of us wants, but what I do know is that you are most likely the only person that will ever accept me into your kingdom." The raven-haired princess busied her fingers with the fabric of her dress that covered her thighs. "Everyone knows the Luthors don't agree to same-sex weddings, and I don't want this marriage to tarnish your... reputation."

 

"You think you're tarnishing my reputation?" Kara asked, nose scrunched in confusion. She leaned forward on the table and placed an open palm on the surface, clearly inviting her to take her hand. Lena gave in after a brief glance and rested her own hand in Kara's, relishing in the fact that it was warm, soft, and calloused all at once. She desperately tried to ignore the way that their hand seemed to fit together perfectly.

 

"Lena, that thought has not once crossed my mind. In the first hour of knowing you, I immediately recognized that you are nothing like Lex, and I'm sure you are nothing like your mother."

 

"She's not my mother," Lena murmured, swallowing the lump in her throat. Kara tilted her head, puzzled, but her eyes urged her to continue. "My father set off on a long journey south. He grew lonely as time went on, and he stopped at a tavern with his men to rest. The barmaid was a beautiful woman, and my father said that if she could satisfy his needs for the night that he would pay her." Lena sucked in a shaky breath, pressing on.  
"She was poor and needed the coin. One thing led to another, and soon I was born. My real mother came to the kingdom seeking help from my father, but Lillian had her killed. She was about to do the same to me, but Lionel would not allow it, claiming I was another heir to the Luthor throne, should Lex die. Ever since then Lillian has never treated me like her own daughter because I'm not. I'm a bastard."

 

Kara squeezed Lena's hand softly, but firmly after she had concluded her story. The sadness in the Luthor's green eyes reflected in her own, and it made her want to lung across the table and wrap the struggling woman in her arms, but she didn't want to push it, not when Lena was opening up even further to her with a personal story.

 

"The Queen isn't my real mother either. The Danvers adopted me when I was 10." A sympathetic smile spread over her features as Lena looked visibly startled at her revelation. "My parents had passed away in a... fire," Kara paused. This wasn't the time; she couldn't reveal her biggest secret to her. At least not right now. "I was an orphan with nowhere to go, nobody to help me. I fled my home as it burned to the ground, in search of anywhere I could run to. One of the Nationell Citi guards found me wandering by myself near the palace and took me inside to speak with the king and queen." The topic of her parents or Krypton was not easy to speak about, but the blonde concentrated on the softness of Lena's hand and her wondering look and continued.  
"Understanding my situation, Eliza and Jeremiah took me in. Alex and I were instantly inseparable. She always wanted a little sister, and I always longed for a sibling. This castle has been my home ever since." Kara grinned fondly at the memory of 14-year-old Alex excitedly showing around the whole palace, both young girls clicked so instantly that they often shared a bed although Kara's room was only a few doors away.

 

"That sounds very sweet," Lena commented with an affectionate squeeze of her hand, which both princesses just then realized that their fingers had somehow found themselves intertwining throughout their conversation. Kara and Lena's cheeks immediately flushed crimson, neither one knowing whether or not to pull away or stay.

 

"I—I have a question," Kara didn't pull her hand away, only lossed her grip by the smallest bit. "I don't know how old you are."

 

Lena huffed. "That was a statement," She clarified. "But I'm 20. I don't know how old you are either."

 

Kara rolled her eyes at Lena's joke. "I'm just a year older."

 

"Now I know so much about you we're practically married." The youngest Luthor teased, earning a delighted laugh out of Kara.

 

"Ask me anything. To get to know me better," The Kryptonian smiled, leaning an elbow on the table to rest her chin on her unoccupied hand; she wouldn't dare move the other one. Lena's grip in her's comforting, and judging by Lena's pleased look, she assumed it was the same on her end.

 

"What's your favorite color?"

 

"Woah, jumping straight into the important questions," Kara smirked. "Green. Like the forest, or..." The young Danvers blushed and stopped herself from speaking up about Lena's pretty eyes staring straight into her soul. "It's lush and beautiful, and vibrant. What about you?"

 

"Blue," Lena answered after a moment of thinking. "Deep blue, like the ocean and the sky. I've only seen the ocean once before, but it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen."

 

"What _is_ the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" Kara asked this time, genuinely curious.

 

Lena never got to answer. Both princesses broke apart quickly, hands flying back to their seats, startled by the sound of the dining area's doors opening, hinges creaking loud enough to crush their little moment. Kara attempted to not look disappointed as the loss of contact, her palm becoming cold from the absence of Lena's hand in her's. A servant sheepishly peered through the opening of the heavy wood. "Your Highnesses, I was sent by Princess Alexandra. She ask—told me to tell Miss Kara to 'hurry along before she assumes you're doing something other than eating a meal.'" The servant's cheeks were tinted pink at what Alex had been implying.

 

Kara snorted, shaking her head with a nervous chuckle. "Thank you, Eve. Please inform Alex that I will just be escorting Princess Lena to her room for the night," She hesitated, turning her attention to the Luthor. "If that's alright with you?"

 

"Of course," Lena nodded.

 

"Yes, Miss Kara." With that, the light-haired servant shuffled away fast, courteously leaving one of the doors cracked for them to exit.

 

Once Eve was out of sight, Kara hid her humiliated expression with her hands. "I'm so sorry. I will throw Alex off the watch-tower for that."

 

Lena ignored the faint heat rising in her cheeks as she stood, pushing her chair back to touch the table before gently tapping Kara on the shoulder. The blonde looked up at her with a rosy face and slightly worried brow. "Accompany me?"

 

"Yes, of course," She nodded as she rose from her seat, maintaining a respectful distance from The raven-haired woman.

 

Lena suddenly got a wave of courage spread through her body, clearing her throat and holding out her arm, bent at the elbow, indicating for Kara slide her own arm through hers as they walked. The Kryptonian seemed surprised at her motion, not expecting the younger woman to invite her closer into her space, standing still for a second. Lena took Kara's hesitance for rejection, quickly dropping her arm back down to her side, shoulders slumping just the smallest bit from disappointment.

 

Kara mentally slapped herself for not accepting the notion. She hurriedly moved to thread her arm into Lena's, the Luthor not expecting it, shocking the woman the tiniest bit. "Sorry, my mind went elsewhere for a minute." Kara smiled, beginning to lead them out of the room and towards the stairs.

 

"That's alright," Lena strangely liked the feeling of Kara's warmth next to her. It was incredible how hot she was. _Wait, no, that's not what I meant,_ Lena blushed at the thoughts in her mind.

 

After a comfortable silence slipped between them, both princesses found themselves at Lena's bedroom door. "I want to thank you for having dinner with me," Kara wasted no time, breaking the silence and slowly sliding her arm out of the Luthor's.

 

"I should be thanking you. It was nice to have a civilized meal together instead of trying to bite each other's heads off," Lena huffed at her own analogy and looked down.

 

Kara grinned, also pointed her gaze down to her boots for a short second. She got a breath of cool air in her lungs and shyly stepped a little closer to Lena, grabbing her attention again. "I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if you would like to go riding with me tomorrow?" Kara bit her lip, not looking the shorter woman in the eyes. "I know a path that leads to a beautiful waterfall outside of the Palace's walls."

 

Without thinking, Lena reached out and placed her hand on Kara's clothed bicep in an attempt to ease the blonde's nerves, restraining herself from squeezing the muscle there. "I would love to."

 

Kara sighed quietly, shoulders visibly slumped in relief as she beamed. "Great. How about I come to get you before sunrise? Or I can have Sam get you, it doesn't have to be me, I just—"

 

Lena's amused laughter pulled her out of her stuttering state. "That would be great, Kara." She moved forward so almost no space remained between them, glanced at Kara's stunned face to see if she should pull away. Lena closed her eyes a pressed a light kiss to the young Danvers' cheek, lingering just a little longer than normally appropriate. "Goodnight," She whispered as she backed up, smiling as Kara just stared and nodded.

 

As Lena retreated into her room, Kara exhaled loudly, her hand coming up to touch her cheek in the place where Lena had kissed it. The heat in her face stayed as she retired to her own room and stripped out of her suit, putting on a simple nightshirt and climbing into bed, falling asleep easier than she had in a long time.  
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading through the chapter, let me know how you like it in the comments!
> 
> Next Chapter: Thursday, April 11th, 2019.


	5. Chapter 5

Naturally, getting used to waking up inside her room in Nationell Citi was strange towards the beginning, but last night helped quite a bit. Lena didn't expect to share her secret with Kara, yet she did. It felt surprisingly amazing to tell someone about what happened with her birth mother and not have them spit in her face for being a bastard. Remembering Kara's story about losing her parents and her home, Lena smiled sadly to herself. The youngest Luthor wasn't smiling because Kara lost her blood-family, she was smiling because Kara also shared a very personal story with her, trusting her and sympathizing with her at the same time. Lena now could check the second question off of her list: Why Alex and Kara didn't look alike. She felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest last night, and she would be eternally grateful for Kara being so kind and patent with her throughout everything.

 

Now Kara was taking her riding on horseback to see the sunrise over a waterfall. In most likely a few minutes the Danvers Princess would be knocking at her door, definitely grinning brightly—like she usually did to anybody that passed her by—and willing to escort her through the giant and beautiful castle.

 

Lena stood looking into the mirror next to her window, making sure she looked presentable enough for her betrothed: She sported a fitting green tunic and simple pants, her hair tucked back neatly into a braid. If she was going to be riding a horse, Lena wanted to wear pants. Assuming it would be alright, as Kara and her sister wore them every time she had seen them, even catching some of the female staff wearing pants one or two times. _If Lillian could see me now,_ Lena commented to herself, huffing out a quiet laugh. Her mother always had something to say regarding her appearance, whether it be her clothing or her physical features. She had learned to ignore the stab in her chest every time she thought about Lillian's poisonous comments, sometimes wondering if whatever she told her about her body was true.

 

A quiet rap at her door made Lena jump in surprise, twisting around to open it. Lena prepared herself, flattening her hair and shirt down, taking in a nice deep breath, pulling the door open. She was pleased to know that she was right; Kara was grinning brightly, her wonderful blue eyes meeting hers with less hesitation than yesterday. Lena was happy knowing that the blonde seemed more comfortable around her after being able to sit down and talk with her properly.

 

"Are you rea—" Kara's smile was wiped away from across her face as quickly as it had come, her wide eyes glancing down at Lena's body.

 

Lena panicked a little, also checking herself up and down. _Why is she looking at me like that?_ "Is something wrong?" She asked, about to say something else, but Kara spoke up first.

 

"N—No, it—it's nothing..." The stunning blonde trailed off, shaking her head as if reset her brain.

 

"Well, it doesn't look like nothing," Lena replied, trying to meet her gaze, growing uncomfortable that Kara was staring at her frame in an unthreatening, yet predatory way.

 

Kara seemed to notice her discomfort, quickly regathering herself. "I'm sorry, My Lady. I just couldn't help but notice that you...look very nice...in that way." She gestured to Lena's overall person, waving her hand up and down before letting it fall to her side.

 

"In pants?" Lena finished for her, raising a questioning, amused eyebrow.

 

"Yes."

 

Lena smirked. The way Kara's throat bobbed when she swallowed looking her up and down was quite amusing, to say the least. She had to admit she felt a little proud of herself for making the young Danvers react to her appearance in such a manner. Lena had many people look at her with a hungry expression before, but no one aside from Kara had managed to make the effect seem... tender. The Luthor felt a small increase in her heart rate at the thought that Kara was smitten by the fact that she was simply wearing pants.

 

"Um, I have the horses ready," Kara broke under her amused expression, self-consciously bringing a hand up to rub the back of her neck.

 

"I would hope so," Lena jesting, stepping out and shutting her door behind her. Meeting the princess at her door was very quickly becoming one of her favorite things to do; aside from making her stumble over her words like a silly fool.

 

Remembering last night's walk back to their rooms, Kara stuck out her elbow for her to loop her arm through. Lena did so with no hesitation, once again feeling the comfort of a warm body at her side. Neither woman saw the blushes on each other's faces from the close proximity as they stared straight forward, headed for the royal stables.

 

{***}

 

Pulling her hair out its tight ponytail and letting it fall free around her shoulders, Maggie walked through the doors of the guard's armory and unlooped her swordbelt from around her waist, hanging up the weapon on her assigned hook right beside her other armor. Stretching her sore muscles, she got ready to leave the armory and head straight for her room, but hands gripping her shirt and pulling her harshly against the wall behind the guards' chainmail.

 

Maggie panicked for a second before looking up at the face that manhandled her: Alex. The shorter woman smirked suggestively at her lover. "Woah, you trying to get a quick one with me?" She joked with the princess as her hands came up to Alex's waist, squeezing lightly.

 

"What? N—No!" The auburn-haired woman shook her head as she loosened her grip on her, quickly glancing behind her to make sure nobody else was in the armory with them.

 

"Hey, what's going on?" She noticed the look on Alex's face and sobered up quickly. "What's got the Great Alex Danvers freaked out?"

 

The taller woman sighed, calming down her nerves a tad bit, bringing her hands lower to rest them on Maggie's shoulders, the presence of her girlfriend helping ease her anxiety. "It's Kara," She began, rolling her eyes at the woman's nickname for herself.

 

"Kara? Did something happ—"

 

"She knows about us," She gestured Maggie's eyes bugged out. "And she wants to meet you."

 

Maggie also began to freak out. "What?" She exclaimed. Alex slapped a hand over her mouth and shushed her, and reminding her to whisper. "What?" Maggie repeated more quietly once her girlfriend removed her hand. "How does she know?"

 

"That's not important. What is important is that she's adamant on speaking with you."

 

"When?"

 

"As soon as possible," Alex answered, raising her eyebrows in a form of emphasizing her words. "She mentioned knowing about us not even a week ago."

 

Maggie tensed as Alex looked behind her again, again checking to see if they were alone, only speaking up when she knew no one was there. "Are you okay with this?"

 

Alex furrowed her brow. "Am I okay with what?"

 

"About Kara meeting me? About having to sneak around like this?" Maggie clarified, pulling the taller woman closer as she rested her forehead on hers'.

 

The oldest Danvers gladly accepted a kiss on her lips before she answered. "Kara is one of the most important people in my life. I know I'm the big sister, but she's also really protective of me. Especially when it comes to relationships." Alex's breath hitched, Maggie squeezing her sides comfortingly, urging her to continue. "Growing up, whenever the subject of marriage was brought up, Kara always argued on my behalf with my mother. She'd tell her that I deserved to find love in my own time."

 

"She sounds like she loves you very much," Maggie pointed out with a gentle smile, moving a short strand of the princesses hair behind her ear.

 

"She does," Alex smiled fondly. "It's just...with this whole arranged marriage with the Luthor Princess, I feel so awful about this."

 

"About what?"

 

"When I refused the throne, I never even thought about what responsibility would fall to Kara." Alex's shoulders slumped as Maggie cupped her cheeks reassuringly. "Now, since she's the heir—Kara told me that she's marrying the Luthor because I'm with you. She's doing this for me, and I'm the one that put her in this situation." She finished, becoming angry as she heard the words out loud.

 

"Woah, hold on," Maggie gripped her shoulders, the auburn-haired woman's hands moving to her waist. "You can't be upset with yourself over this. The Throne isn't something you desire, and surely Kara understands that, right?"

 

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Still, I can see the stress that this is putting on her. Kara has always been so kind, but I feel like she might be spreading herself too thin trying to put on a brave face for everyone."

 

Maggie nodded somberly. She didn't know what to say to make her lover feel better. The stress on Kara was also putting stress on Alex, and she could see that quite clearly. "Where's your sister right now?"

 

"She's riding out of Nationell Citi with the Luthor Princess. She said she'll be back a little after sunrise. Why?"

 

"Well, I could meet her then," Maggie held a hand up before she could protest. "I'll be in the training yard with the other guards, but perhaps after I can properly prepare myself for a shovel talk." She suggested, Alex chuckling softly at the joke.

 

"You're sure?" Alex questioned nervously, gripping Maggie tighter.

 

"Of course. I've won one Danvers sister over, let's see how I do with the other one." Maggie teased, leaning closer to kiss Alex, pulling away after a few seconds. "Plus, how scary can someone who's nickname is 'Sunny Danvers' be?" She added with a smirk.

 

{***}

 

Kara and Lena's stroll to the stables was pleasant, the two heiresses occasionally exchanging words or thoughts about nothing in particular. By the time they had made it to the royal stables, Lena was working hard to not bounce up and down with excitement. She had not ridden a horse in quite a few years and was positively itching to ride one again. Kara kindly led her through the different stalls of big horses, some lighter colored, some of them darker. They walked to the very end of the long, open stables where there were two horses standing stoic outside: A tall, pitch black horse with a stained red leather saddle, it's mane brushed carefully to the left side of its muscular neck. The other horse was a Mustang, a dark auburn coat with large white spots across it's back and legs, no saddle on its spine.

 

"This is Ravenor," Kara reached out to pet the black horse's nose, the animal gently nudging her hand in acknowledgment. "And this is Kal." She moved over to the unsaddled Mustang, affectionately rubbing the   
horse's neck, kissing him on the side of his face.

 

"They're both beautiful. Enormous, but beautiful." Lena remarked as she stared up at the tall animals, admiring their sheer beauty. "May I ask why Kal has no saddle?" She asked, noticing the detail immediately.

 

"Oh, since he's a Mustang that means he's kind of...wild." Kara searched for the right word. "He doesn't like to ride with a saddle on, so for as long as I can remember I've just ridden him like this." She gestured to the stallion's exposed back. When Lena just nodded and didn't say anything Kara continued. "Are you comfortable riding Ravenor this morning?"

 

"I will be if I can get on him." Lena laughed, thrusting her hand out for the darker horse to sniff it. The giant steed hesitantly smelled her open palm, perhaps searching for grain or grass. Once he determined he wouldn't find anything edible on her hand, the horse bowed his head and invited the young Luthor to pet his forehead, which she did happily.

 

"He likes you," Kara observed the interaction with a fond smile. "Ravenor doesn't usually take well to strangers. He's not too fond of certain people petting him, so I'd consider it a victory so far."

 

Lena huffed. "So far?"

 

"Well, don't tell anyone I told you, but once Alex tried to pat him on the back and he turned around and bit her hair." Kara laughed at the memory as she kept rubbing small circles on Kal's shoulder. "That was the first time she cut it short to cover up where Ravenor bit a chunk of her hair out, and she ended up liking it so much that she just stuck with the haircut."

 

Lena laughed loudly at that, covering a hand over her mouth to try to suppress them. Kara laughed along with her, both women savoring the pleasantly playful mood that had developed in the air.

 

"I would love to travel back in time to see that," Lena commented, watching as Ravenor dug a hoof into the ground and scraped it back a few times.

 

Kara took notice as well, leaving Kal's side for a moment to come closer to Lena. "Looks like he's impatient to get out there and kick the dust up," She crouched down to make sure the saddle was secured tightly around the pitch black steed's middle. "Would you like some help getting on him?"

 

"Yes, please," The raven-haired woman replied. "I just hope I remember how to ride properly. I fear I might lose my balance and topple over the side." She added, chuckling at her own joke in her head.

 

"Don't worry, I'd catch you." Kara simply said just above a whisper.

 

Lena took a second to force down the blush forming in her cheeks as Kara shyly glanced down to her feet to avoid eye contact. The blonde cleared her throat, a laugh struggling to form, therefore coming out as a nervous half smile. "Here, let me help you on," Kara held out her arms, almost like she was about to embrace the woman, but Lena quickly understood what she was about to do.

 

The younger princess turned around, her front facing the horse with her hands gripping the horn and cantle of the saddle. She slipped her boot through the stirrup and glanced to Kara, signaling that she was ready for the Danvers to help her onto the massive horse. Kara hesitantly placed her hands on Lena's slim waist, the Luthor involuntarily grasping the saddle a little tighter as she felt the warmth of Kara's hands through the fabric of her tunic. The older princess easily lifted her high enough so Lena could swing her other leg over Ravenor's back. Lena mentally thanked the horse for staying still.

 

"Comfortable?" Kara asked, pulling on the front of the leather saddle to situate it a little straighter on the Kladruber horse.

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

Kara nodded and handed the reins to her, giving Ravenor one last pat and kiss on his snout before making her way over Kal, consciously aware of Lena's gaze burning a hole through her shirt the whole time as she firmly gripped her horse's auburn mane and hoisted herself up, using some of the Kryptonian strength in her legs to help her jump a little higher, but too much that the other woman would notice. Once Kara also properly situated herself on top of Kal, she turned to Lena.

 

"Ready?"

 

"As I'll ever be," Lena responded, relaxing as she welcomed the familiar feeling of the textured leather reins gripped in her hands tightly.

 

"I was talking to Ravenor," Kara joked, smirking as Lena chuckled quietly.

 

Lena rolled her eyes, but let out an airy laugh nonetheless. "Of course, my apologize."

 

"Follow me," Kara encouraged, making a clicking sound to get her horse to move forward, pulling on his mane lightly.

 

Kal quickly turned his head to the right, his body following. The Mustang trotted up to the open field, Lena coming up behind them, kicking Ravenor gently in the side to usher him further, but it seemed the Kladruber wanted to go faster, ignoring her gentle shove and trotting faster until she was side by side with Kara. It seemed like the horse was playing matchmaker with the two princesses.

 

Once Kara and Lena exited into a small path in the treeline, Kal and Ravenor picked up the pace about halfway through, the blonde laughing their little trip through the trees turned into a race. Both women galloped speedily, making playfully teasing comments when one of them came in front of the other. After a little while of racing Kara and Lena burst through the treeline together, arguing about who got there first.

 

"It was clearly me," Lena said, shaking her head as Kara protested.

 

"Anyone with eyes could see that I came through before you."

 

"You're foolish," Lena muttered, smiling at the funny princess beside her. She was thankful to be able to let loose and laugh every now and then. The Luthor noted Kara's silence, turning her attention from her lap to the girl next to her.

 

Kara was staring out in front of her, a warm glow cast across her face, a small breeze blowing a few strands of golden hair away from her features. Lena also looked forward, gasping at the view in front of her:

 

A lush green meadow spread out before them, the brightness of the sun peaking out of the fluffy pink, orange, and purple clouds lit up the light blue sky. The meadow ended a few yards away with a sharp drop, the whole left side was a great mountain with white water spilling out and down into a crystal-clear pool beneath where they could see. Lena felt as though she had stepped into a painting of a fantasy world, something she could only imagine in her dreams. The youngest Luthor didn't know the sunrise could look so beautiful like this, surrounded by an untouched valley of peace.

 

"Kara, this is breathtaking," Lena breathed, still gazing out at the majestic scene before her.

 

The Kryptonian only smiled at her betrothed's reaction, expertly sliding off Kal's back and giving him a smack on his rump, watching the stallion run off wildly in a different direction, red hair flowing behind him as he galloped away.

 

The sight of Kara's horse cantering out of sight broke Lena out of her peaceful trance. "Hey! He's running off!" She warned the blonde, who seemed unaffected that Kal had disappeared.

 

"Do not worry, he always comes back. Kal's a Mustang; he's still a little wild at heart, but he'll never wander too far off." The young Danvers explained with a happy grin, casually walking up next to her, looking up at Lena as she gave Ravenor a quick pat on his rump, not too hard that he'd run off similarly to Kal. "Do you want help down?"

 

Lena nodded hesitantly, still wary of wherever Kara's horse went but decided to trust that she knew what she was talking about. The blonde extended her arms out, allowing Lena to easily lean into her touch, silently surprised as Kara practically lifted her off the pitch black steed all by herself. She let her mind wander about Kara's strength, thinking about what her muscles would look like as she trained, or without her shirt— _No, not going there, certainly not._

 

The raven-haired woman placed her hands on Kara's sturdy shoulders to help support herself. She felt her cheeks flush, dangerously aware of how close they were to each other now that her feet were planted firmly on the ground, Kara's hands remained on her waist for an extra second before the older heiress' face also flushed a deeper crimson, dropping their arms down to her own sides.

 

"Would you like to see the water up close?" Kara asked, dipping her head down slightly as she stepped out of Lena's personal space. Neither woman had the guts to admit that they missed the other's touch. To one another or themselves.

 

"Yes." answered quietly, as if afraid to shatter the calm silence that surrounded them.

 

The two princesses began to foot it across the lush plain together, thankful for their choice of clothing as the longer blades of grass brushed up against their shins and thighs. Lena noticed Kara gradually become more and more excited as they walked close to the bank of the flowing lake ahead of them, her hands fidgeting at her sides and her steps getting a little faster. Lena instantly understood why Kara was so excited to get closer to the water: The river rocks at the floor of the water were tinted with many different colors, similar to a rainbow, from the reflection of the early morning sun cast upon the river. Looking closely, Lena saw a few salmon swimming leisurely down the long stretch of water, more fish following quickly behind.

 

"I like to come here whenever I'm feeling sad or stressed," Kara started staring up at the steady rush of water pouring down the edges of the mountainsides. "It helps me relax and just remove myself from the rest of the world for a little while. I discovered this place when I was younger. I had only been living with the Danvers for about a month," She paused, breathing in a breath of fresh air, letting it stay in her lungs for a few moments before she released it. "I began to miss my parents very much and felt trapped in a place that was still very unfamiliar to me. So, one day I snuck past the guards by the stables and sprinted away from Nationell Citi, curious to find out what was at the end what seemed like just trees. After wandering on for quite a long time, I eventually broke through the forest, and this was the first thing I saw."

 

Lena listened intently, watching as Kara motioned in front of her to the beautiful scenery before the two of them, smiling softly as she played out the story of a small Kara running through the forest and jumping in the water, laughing happily to herself as she imagined what Kara would look like years ago. "Why did you bring me here if this is your special place?"

 

"Well," The Kryptonian cleared her throat nervously, impulsively running a hand through her hair as she turned her body to face Lena. "I wanted to give you something, and I think right now is the best time to do it," She told her, breath caught in her throat.

 

"The best time?" Lena raising an eyebrow in confusion.

 

Kara swallowed, forcing her nerves down as she spoke in a slightly shaky voice. "I know that nothing can stop us from being married in two days, but I still would like to make this arrangement as traditional as possible before the wedding, so I..." The blonde reached a hand into her pants pocket and pulled out a small wooden box with a tiny golden latch at the front. She unlocked the latch and opened the box, showing it to Lena.

 

A silver wedding band with raised lines of metal, various diamonds at the ends of the silver to make it look like vines or willow branches. The shining white diamonds took Lena's breath away, similar to the view of the waterfall and the meadow. "Kara..." _Is she...?_

 

"Wait, I have to do this." Kara stepped back, giving herself room to kneel in front of her. The Luthor noticed the blonde's hands holding the ring box were trembling faintly. "It's only been a few days, but I can already tell that you have such a kind heart and a generous soul. I know we can't choose this marriage, but I want you to accept this ring," Kara held the box up a little higher. "And allow me to spend the rest of my life praying that one day we can grow to accept each other."

 

All the breath was stolen from Lena's lungs, her chest aching, sending an oddly pleasant yet intense sensation down her spine and arms. Kara's hopeful and pleading blue eyes burned into her skull, looking up at her with a clear expression while the rest of her was so nervous, it seemed as though both princesses would wither away from a strong breeze. Lena quickly realized that she still had not answered her, gathering all the courage she could find within herself to speak.

 

"You don't have to do this for m—"

 

"I want to," Kara interrupted her, her voice becoming surprisingly determined despite the shaking of her hands, still gripping the box. "It's taken me a little bit of time to see it, but I've accepted that some people are just bad, but some can also just be good. I know you're good. Please don't ask me how I know, just trust that I can see it; in your actions, in the way you speak, in your eyes."

 

In all of her 20 years, Lena had never been shown such kindness by one person before. The way Kara poured out her thoughts about her willingly, not bothered that she was a Luthor, it made her feel... something. Kara looked past what her family had done, and had seen her for just her. The blonde had made her feel like 'Lena' instead of a bastard. That was something she hadn't felt in a long time.

 

"Yes." Lena didn't hold herself back from saying it. Not this time.

 

"Yes?" Kara echoed in a tone of disbelief.

 

She nodded softly, a smile slowly stretching across her face. "Yes."

 

The Kryptonian exhaled in relief, giving a half-smile as she eventually stood up, still holding the ring out to Lena, tempting diamonds shining brilliantly in the sun. She picked the ring out of the box and quickly closed it, sliding it back into her pocket. "Here," Kara said, holding out her hand.

 

Lena placed hand in Kara's, watching as the young Danvers fit the wedding band on her finger gently, treating Lena's hand like it was pure porcelain or the most delicate thing in the world. The silver band fit surprisingly perfect on her ring finger, both girls holding back their gasps of shock. It felt... right.

 

"It's beautiful, thank you." Lena whispered, looking up to Kara with watery eyes.

 

"Only the best for the best." Kara murmured, both women laughing at the familiar phrase.  
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEEEEEEEET!!!!!
> 
> Next Chapter: Monday, April 15th, 2019


	6. Chapter 6

The afternoon sun had shone above the Nationell Citi training grounds, the waves of golden light beaming down onto the guards as they practiced different sword movements and attack positions. Maggie kept throwing flirty winks and smiles Alex's way when she made sure nobody else was watching. Keeping their relationship a secret, for now, was stressful sometimes—especially when having to sneak around—but moments like this were quite humorous; sharing glances from across the room or in passing, nobody else but themselves having a clue about their relationship.

 

Today was nothing new, just a few drills with her fellow soldiers. At least until about an hour after it started. During a quick break in between sparring for a much-needed drink of water, Maggie strolled over to the bucket of water that the rest of the men and women were fighting to get to first. Once she finally got a cup filled and drunk the cool liquid, enjoying the feeling of it washing down the dryness of her throat, Maggie quickly peered over to where Alex stood and almost choked on her tongue.

 

Kara Danvers stood close to her sister with a very serious look on her face, speaking in a hushed tone with Alex, who looked a little nervous at whatever the blonde was saying to her. _She's not supposed to be here right now!_ Maggie thought, her throat quickly becoming dry once again.

 

She watched Kara nod along with her sister before turning in her direction. The youngest Danvers put two fingers up to her mouth and whistled loudly, Alex wincing beside her at the nearly ear-splitting sound.

 

As if on queue, all of the other knights noticed the arrival of their crowned princess and had heard her whistle, many of them hurrying to wipe their faces off and forget the water behind them, getting into position as quickly as possible in the training grounds. Maggie followed suit, cursing herself for having her place be at the very front.

 

"Your Highness," Everyone said in unison, bowing as Kara walked closer, also bowing her head briefly in greeting.

 

"Is everyone tired yet?" Kara called out to them, hands behind her back in an authoritative stance.

 

"No, Your Grace!" Maggie and the rest of the men and women responded, matching the blonde's pitch, if not louder.

 

"Well, that's about to change," Kara smirked as she looked back to Alex, who had an amused eyebrow raised up as she rolled her eyes. "Let's do some more sparring in pairs, then in elimination. James and Authur. Vasquez and Nia, William and Graves..." Kara listed off the soldier's names, Maggie drowning her voice out as she observed how strong and commanding the youngest Danvers sister could be. This was not how she imagined she'd be. 

 

"Sawyer," Kara's powerful tone pulled her out of her little trance. "You're with Alex."

 

Maggie immediately nodded as she made her way over to her lover, avoiding any eye contact from Kara. As soon as she was out of earshot from anybody else, the brunette whispered to her girlfriend. "What is she doing here?"

 

"I don't know!" Alex shrugged, grabbing her sword out of its sheath.

 

"This is so unfair."

 

"That you're paired with me?" The auburn-haired woman smirked, putting a hand up to her chest in mock offense.

 

Maggie shook her head. "Every time you talk about Kara, you say she's shy and bubbly. That is not bubbly!" She gestured at Kara as she watched the pairs of soldiers clashing swords, correcting them every now and then, keeping the same emotionless expression.

 

"She didn't become one of the best fighters in Nationell Citi from smiling her way through it all," Alex explained, getting into a ready stance, winking at her with a grin. "Now come on, see if you can beat me."

 

Maggie pointed her sword at Alex's torso, waiting for her lover to make the first move. The older Danvers swung across her face then legs, the shorter woman blocking and deflecting as they went. After about a minute of clashing weapons together Alex just bearly managing to kick Maggie's legs out from underneath her and sent her falling to the ground, letting out a huff of surrender.

 

"Good try, Sawyer," Alex extended her hand out to help her up.

 

"I almost had you," Maggie grumbled as she dusted off her front and shins from the shards of grass that had stuck to her clothes.

 

"Alright! Elimination!" Kara shouted from across the field, everyone gathering around in a large circle, the other men and women looking slightly out of breath. The Kryptonian held her sword comfortably in the center of the circle. "Who wants to go first?"

 

James stepped up first. Kara beat him after around two minutes of combat. Next was Vasquez, then Arthur, Nia, Graves, and Siobhan. Kara best all of them, though a few of them were close to disarming her. Next was herself. Maggie swallowed the nervous lump in her throat down, stepping into the circle to join her lover's little sister, palms getting slightly sweaty, and not from the bright sun gleaming above them.

 

"Ready?" Kara asked, a glint of something close to mischievousness in her eyes.

 

The brunette simply nodded, bending at the knees to help ground herself. Noting Kara's battle stance. Maggie charged forward, thrusting her blade towards her throat. She expected Kara to knock her sword out of the way, turning her body to the left as the blonde returned a swing at her middle. Maggie was surprised by Kara's strength. Of course, she knew the girl was strong; she defeated every one so far, but she didn't expect her hands to sting when Kara brought her sword down to crash onto her's, gritting her teeth to keep from dropping her blade and surrendering right there.

 

After what felt like several minutes to Maggie but in reality was only one or two, Kara made the last move to end the sparring session by butting Maggie in the stomach with the hilt of her sword and sending the brunette crashing to the ground for the second time that day, her sword pointed straight at her neck. The soldiers around them cheered and Alex winced in sympathy.

 

"Good work today. Go shower off and get to sleep tonight." Kara turned to the men and women, nodding as they bowed before walking off to chat with one another.

 

Meanwhile, Kara spun around to Maggie and slapped a hand on her shoulder a little harder than necessary. "We need to talk," She whispered, sounding dangerously serious.

 

"Yes, Your Grace." She uttered. She'd have to have a chat with Alex later; her girlfriend never told her that 'Sunny Danvers' could be so intimidating. And scary. And not sunny.

 

Kara sheathed her sword with a satisfying _shink_ as she walked back to the doors that led to the armory, throwing a glance behind her shoulder as an indication for Maggie to follow her. With one last look at Alex, the shorter knight same up behind Kara, truly nervous about leaving a good impression on her lover's little, yet stronger, sister.

 

"Your Highness—"

 

"Sawyer, you're my sister's girlfriend, it's perfectly fine to call me Kara." She said, the seriousness in her voice dying down a tiny bit.

 

"Right, yes. Um, Alex has told me a lot about you—"

 

"All good things, I hope." She was interrupted by the blonde once more. "Unfortunately, she hasn't told me much about you." Kara kept her gaze ahead of her as they walked along the halls of the castle.

 

Maggie winced at the truth in her words. "Do you...want to know anything about me?" She questioned, not sure what to say.

 

"Of course! If you and Alex are together then that makes you my second big sister. Well, bigger in age." Kara laughed as she finally met Maggie's eyes. 

 

Maggie was completely shocked by her sudden change of mood. One second she was protective and commanding, and the next she was giggling and teasing around like a little kid. This was all very confusing to her. "You haven't even given me the shovel talk yet and you're already joking about my height?" She raised both of eyebrows, prompting another laugh out of her company.

 

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Kara giggled, shoulders slumping as the air between them shifted into a more comfortable atmosphere. "Plus, I don't think I really have to give you the shovel talk after I kicked your rump to the ground just a few minutes ago."

 

"Yeah, maybe I was just going easy on you," Maggie blushed nonetheless at the mention of her defeat. "But honestly, I really like Alex, and I don't want you to think that I'm just with her for fun or anything," Maggie admitted, voice wavering slightly as the conversation turned serious again.

 

"Prove it." Kara stated.

 

"P—Prove it?" Maggie faltered, confused.

 

"Don't break her heart, then I'll know." Kara's eyes narrowed just a touch. "Alex is one of the most special people in my life and was there for me when nobody else was. Now, I'm counting on you to be there for her when she needs it as well."

 

Maggie nodded as she listened to Kara's voice became somewhat somber. "Kara, I don't ever want to hurt her, please know that." She reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder blade, feeling it appropriate for the subject at hand.

 

"You know," Kara sighed. "Many people have told me that I'm too trusting, but I have a feeling about you. Don't make me wrong."

 

"Never." Maggie smiled up to the heiress, patting her on the back before dropping her hand back down to her side. "That was a great shovel talk. But aren't they usually threatening? Yours was actually quite sweet."

 

Kara scoffed, grinning as she faced the brunette with a pretended glare. "If you hurt my big sister I will call you 'Midget' for the rest of your life."

 

Maggie laughed out loud, Kara soon joining. Both women's roars of hilarity echoing inside the halls, gripping their midsections when it hurt to laugh anymore. "I'm sure you will."

 

{***}

 

After they had made it back safely to the stables and the Danvers excused herself for a bit of training in the practice grounds with a few other soldiers, Lena took Kara's suggestion and started exploring the castle as much as she could, quickly committing the several different turns and rooms inside Nationell Citi's palace to heart. While it felt very freeing to just walk by herself through the halls and discover many different spaces and exits, a major con was being alone again with her stupid mind, uncontrollably wandering this way and that.

 

Her first thought was about Kara. Of course, Kara Danvers had been at the very front of her brain since that morning. Lena subconsciously found herself running her fingers along the diamond ring every now and then. The image of Kara down on one knee in front of her, holding out the beautiful wedding band to her, pleading ocean-blue eyes piercing into her soul. The sunny princess was so earnest and thoughtful, and it scared Lena in a way.

 

It scared her that she already felt so...strange. It was indescribable. Every time she was around Kara it felt like there were flowers growing inside her chest and she couldn't stop it if she tried. The way the princess smiled around her made Lena feel like sunshine was bursting through her veins and shining down upon her. She felt many things, but she just felt so confused at the moment.

 

People had described what love felt like, though they had also said that it was different for everyone. Lena sat in her room in Thorul reading stories of love and romance, dreaming of what it would be like when she met her 'special someone' for the first time; what it would feel like when she kissed somebody for the first time, someone she loved. Initially, Lena believed she wouldn't be able to fall in love with anyone because of her family, her last name that followed her everywhere like a curse, producing lingering glances of disgust or fear from other people outside of her kingdom, rejection, and   
her own family refusing to acknowledge her unless they needed her as a pawn in of their sneaky plans.

 

But Kara never did that. Kara had never once looked at her with disgust in her eyes. She listened to what Lena had to say instead of brushing her off. Kara never spat at her feet because she was a Luthor or a bastard, in fact, the young Danvers had told Lena on multiple occasions that she was nothing like Lex and Lillian, encouraging her to be herself and explore. The Luthors made Lena feel trapped and insecure, but Kara made her feel safe and valued.

 

_What if this is what love feels like?_ Safety and appreciation. _No, no, I can't be in love, that's insane, right?_ Lena scolded herself, shaking her head before she got too far lost in her thoughts. _But what the hell is this feeling? Why won't it go away—_

 

"Your Highness!" A familiar voice came rushing into her ears. Lena spun around before she could turn the corner near the upper portion of the palace. Sam was hurrying over to her, footsteps slightly rushed. As soon as Sam was only a few feet away the maid bowed and spoke. "Miss Lena, I have news for you."

 

The young Luthor greeted her politely, happy to see another face she knew besides Kara. "Yes?"

 

"King Lex has arrived in Nationell Citi," Sam informed her. "He would like to speak with you before the wedding."

 

Lena's heart dropped in her chest. Just when she thought she was finally getting away from them, Lex and Lillian had pulled her back into their grasp. Of course, she knew she would see them at the wedding, but just the thought of being in their presence after only a few days of laughter and joy filled the youngest Luthor with dread. _Calm down you dolt,_ Lena commanded herself. _Maybe it's not what I think it will be..._

 

"Miss Lena?" Sam hesitantly waved a hand up in front of her, trying to get her attention.

 

Lena then realized she hadn't answered her yet. She cleared her throat and nodded, trying hard to push down her worry and anxiety in front of the other brunette. "Y—Yes, of course. Where shall I meet them?"

 

Sam briefly eyed Lena with a suspicious look, but quickly shook off whatever ideas threatened to pop into her mind. "King Lex has been given chambers in the east wing of the castle. Would you like me to show you the way?" She offered, pointing behind her form.

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

The walk to Lex's room with Sam was very quiet, the air around them heavy with unanswered questions and distress. The taller brunette definitely noticed nervousness growing inside of Lena with every step that brought them closer to her brother. She wanted to ask the raven-haired woman why she seemed so tense but didn't deem it appropriate.

 

"This room right here," Sam gestured to the wooden door at the end of a tall hallway, the entrance of the space extremely detailed with figures of animals and other patterns carved into the wood and glossed with a finish that made the wood almost sparkle in the candlelight.

 

"Thank you again," Lena spoke, self-consciously twirling the ring from Kara around her skinny finger.

 

"It's my pleasure." Sam smiled reassuringly and curtsied lightly before turning to leave Lena alone.

 

Lena inhaled and exhaled a shaky and uneven breath of air, her stomach tying itself into knots. Being in Nationell Citi was refreshing and calm, but having to come and see her wicked family again after finally being rid of them for a small portion of time gave her goosebumps all over her skin. She slowly raised her fist and knocked on the door, waiting for movement on the other side.

 

To her displeasure, Lillian opened the door with the same emotionless scowl on her painted face. "Lena, come in." She stepped aside and motioned for her to come inside the large room—which was much bigger than her's, of course—a fake smile present as she shut the door firmly, the young Luthor shoving a jump down at the sudden noise.

 

"I asked that pesky maid to fetch you minutes ago," Lex mentioned, who was sitting ramrod straight on the bed across from both women.

 

"I was in the West Wing, brother. It is a large palace." Lena kept her gaze down as Lillian left her side to seat herself on a velvet chair on the other side of the chambers.

 

Her brother scoffed as he rose from the mattress. "Yes, it is. Tell me, how is it living in the famous Nationell Citi?" He spat out the kingdom's name in disgust.

 

"It is lovely." She simply replied, seeing no reason to withhold the truth about how she felt regarding Nationell Citi.

 

"I'd hardly call it 'lovely,'" Lillian sneered from her seat. "This kingdom may be loved, as it is the capital now, but everyone here lacks not only brains but basic principles and laws as well. Don't you agree, son?" She turned her attention to Lex, completely ignoring Lena, even though she stood right between both of them.

 

He nodded as he peered out a nearby window to the town underneath. "Such a disgrace, this whole city. So much riches, so much potential, yet they waste it on sharing with the other kingdoms," Lex ranted, rolling his eyes at something he saw out the window. "If the other kingdoms can't obtain enough wealth without the help of the capital then they shouldn't be standing. It's weak."

 

Lena held back her words against him, biting her cheek from the effort. She couldn't speak out against her brother, but at least she could try and change the subject. "I was told you wanted to see me about an urgent matter?"

 

"Hmm? Oh, yes." Lex remembered, finally tearing his gaze away from the windowpane. "I was informed that the wedding is the day after tomorrow. Why has the date been set almost a week after your arrival?" An irritated expression stretched across his face as he crossed his arms and leaned against the giant bedpost.

 

The youngest Luthor's spine shivered as she looked him in the eyes, his stare almost deadly. "Princess Kara Danvers suggested a slight delay so that we could properly introduce ourselves and get to know one another before—"

 

"Get to know each other?" Lillian interrupted bitterly, pulling herself up from her chair. "You're not supposed to 'get to know each other.' Your whole purpose for coming here in the first place was to marry the whore, not get to know her first!" She fumed at her daughter, throwing her arms up in the air at the ridiculous notion.

 

Lena felt her cheeks flush slightly. Whore? Kara was not a whore. She was a princess with one hundred times the amount of kindness and decency than either of them had combined. She wondered why a sudden protective feeling washed over her during Lillian's lecture as she insulted her and her betrothed.

 

"Honestly, Lena, you can't do one thing right, can you?" Lex seethed with disappointment as he looked his little sister up and down with what could only be described as disgust on his sharp features. "This isn't a storybook, this is an arranged marriage. It's bad enough she's a woman, but a Danvers, no less."

 

"She's the enemy, not hero that will come and save you from all your troubles," Lillian shook her head. "You might not be a full Luthor, but you can at least act like it."

 

At her words, Lena's mind swelled with many different emotions. Fear, shame, sadness, and rage. Rage because of her family and their poisonous beliefs and statements to a woman she had come to befriend and truly enjoy. Out of thin air, a burst of courage surged through Lena's veins as she took her eyes off the carpet and met Lex and Lillian's menacing stares.

 

"You're just angry and jealous because Thorul no longer has a connection with Nationell Citi after you started another war with them." She declared in a surprisingly steady tone, shocking herself as her thoughts just came flowing out of her mouth, but willed it not to be seen on her face.

 

The look of absolute shock on Lillian and Lex's profiles after she had spoken up was strangely satisfying to her; being able to say what she actually meant to her wicked mother and brother helped a little more bravery grow inside her heart, feeling not so afraid anymore. A burning fire sparked in her body, something she had never felt before. It was empowering. It was amazing. They finally shut up and heard what she had to say, and it felt wonderfu—

****  
_SMACK!_   


The overpowering strength of Lex's bare hand slamming against her cheek forced her to the ground. She fell to her side and caught herself with her shaky arms, the stinging in her jaw nearly unbearable. Tears sprung to her eyes as the fire, the enthusiasm that had previously sparked within her had instantly been stomped out.

 

"You stupid girl," Lex's deep, booming voice commanded her attention, Lena looking up at her brother from her spot on the ground. He was positively furious now, eyebrows pinched together and nostrils flared. "You _dare_ speak to your _King_ that way?"

 

Lena reached up to touch her throbbing cheek below her left eye. Wetness coated her fingers and she pulled her hand away to find blood on her fingers, the crimson appearing a lot brighter on her pale skin. Lex's ring must have broken her skin from the force of his strike. She panicked as her brother stepped closer, bending down and grabbing her by the wrist and neck.

 

"How many times must I remind you who you are," He harshly yanked her to her feet and pushed her up against the nearest wall, keeping a hold on her throat and wrist. "You are _worthless!_ You don't get a say in anything, and you never will. Don't you ever talk to me like that again! Do you understand?"

 

Lena whimpered out a response, her wrist and throat flaring up in pain as he squeezed her.

 

"I said, **do you understand me!?** " Lex repeated when she tried to tear herself out of his grasp, his grip on her neck tightening and cutting off her air supply. He inched his face closer to hers, staring her into submission.

 

"Y—Yes!" Lena gasped for air, glancing behind Lex's broad shoulder to her mother. Her eyes were narrowed and the slightest smirk peaked through.

 

Just before her cloudy vision became even more blurry Lillian spoke up. "Careful, Lex. You don't want to damage her too much before her wedding."

 

Reluctantly, her brother let go of her neck and arm with one last squeeze. Lena began gasping in breaths as her lungs heaved. It took everything she had to not collapse onto the floor again, her legs incredibly unsteady.

 

"Get out," Lex commanded, pointing to the door. "And if you don't do what you're told next time, Mother might not be here to stop me."

 

As quickly as she could Lena shuffled to the door, rubbing at her sore throat as she went, hoping there wouldn't be any bruising. She glanced down at her thin wrist; the purple-ish bruises were already forming, and the cut on her cheek hurt immensely. She wasted no time in opening the door and shutting it behind her, checking the hall to make sure nobody was there. She couldn't stay here and cry, not when anyone could see. Lena hurried to the other side of the castle in the direction of her room, ducking her head as naturally as she could whenever she passed a maid or another member of the staff. The blood on her fingertips from her cheek was already dried, but Lena didn't know what the rest of her face looked like.

 

Climbing the stairs up to her chambers was difficult on her weak knees, but she persisted, resisting the urge to hyperventilate, reaching the top of the staircase and praying she could hold in her tears for just a little longer until she was safe inside her room, away from Lex, away from anyone.

 

Rounding the corner next to her chambers, Lena was only a few feet away from the door, just a tiny bit more. 

 

"Lena!" Suddenly a familiar voice called out ahead of her, the footsteps that most likely matched the voice sounding not too far away.

 

Lena jumped in fear, her eyes snapping over to find who it was. It was hard to see with blurry eyes, tears threatening to fall. As the footsteps came closer, panic rose in her body once again, thinking the worst, but suddenly, a figure in front of her caused her breath to catch in her aching throat.

 

_Kara._  
.  
.  
.  
.  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Friday, April 19th, 2019.
> 
> -L


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, if you need a Beta/Editor for any of your work, please contact me on my Instagram, @i_remain_lost or my email, iremainlost@gmail.com. Thank you!
> 
> I am also open to story prompts and such, and I always love to answer your questions and hear from you in the comments.
> 
> -L

She was really panicking right now. Kara couldn't see her like this, all flustered and humiliated. She quickly dropped her head down to avoid the blonde's gaze, reaching out for her doorknob, which decided to be stubborn and get stuck at the absolute worst moment.

 

"Hey, I was looking for—Wait, are you bleeding?" Kara's smile dropped from her face, immediately eyeing the small cut on her cheek. "Lena, are you okay?" She added after a moment to gather herself, concerned when the Luthor didn't take her eyes off the door handle.

 

That was it. After everything that had happened with her brother and her mother, all the times they had verbally beaten her down, and the occasional hit or lashing from them, no one made sure she was okay. In Thorul, Lena would usually do what she was now: run to her room and cry by herself until her eyes were no longer red in the mirror. But the obvious concern and softness of Kara's voice broke something open inside of her, the tears in her green eyes finally pushed over the edge and beginning to run down her cheeks.

 

Kara instantly was right by her side, gently putting a comforting hand on her back and pulling her hand off the doorknob, her tough grip on it made her knuckles white. "Hey, you're alright," She soothed the younger woman, wondering what had made her so upset.

 

Lena was extremely overwhelmed: Her cheek stung and her neck and wrist ached. She felt all strength leave her body, preparing to fall to the floor again, but suddenly felt strong arms wrap around her before she could hit the ground. Sobs wracked her body as Kara picked her up, hooking an arm below her knees and the other under her back. The Kryptonian awkwardly opened Lena's door and moved both of them inside, shutting the door with her foot and turned to the bed in front of her.

 

"You're okay," Kara kept repeating the phrase as Lena wrapped her arms around her neck, hiding her face in the crook of her neck as she cried.

 

Kara knew her Kryptonian strength helped her out a little bit, but she still couldn't help but think about how light Lena was in her arms. Even though her confusion about why she felt this way was still present, Kara managed to carry her betrothed over to the bed, trying to set her down as gently as she could, but Lena wouldn't let go of her neck.

 

"Please don't leave," Lena managed to whisper through her sobs. She didn't want to be by herself right now. She had enough of that after years of being sent to her room alone.

 

Kara got slightly emotional at how small she sounded. "I'm not leaving, I promise." She felt Lena's arms slowly loosen around her neck, falling onto her stomach in an almost protective manner.

 

The blonde hurried to the far side of Lena's chambers, grabbing a damp cloth that remained from presumably the last time she bathed. She came back to the crying girl's side, laying her free hand on Lena's covered thigh, letting her know she was still there. "Here, so I clean off your face?" She raised the cloth up for her to see.

 

Kara smiled wistfully when Lena weakly nodded, moving to sit up with the help of Kara's forearm, pulling her into a sitting position. She kneeled down so she was at a better angle, gently bringing the cloth up to Lena's pale cheek, beginning to wipe the little bit of blood from her skin. "Sorry," Kara whispered when Lena winced.

 

"It's fine."

 

Forgetting herself for a moment, Kara reached up and placed her hand on the side of Lena's neck to tilt her head a little closer, but removed her hand immediately when the Luthor jumped and cried out in pain. "What's wrong? Was I too harsh?"

 

Lena shook her head and avoided her questioning eyes, shrinking into herself more, ducking her head down to hide her sore neck.

 

"Lena, look at me," Kara said, firm but pleading. The raven-haired woman didn't move, only sniffled quietly. "Lena, please."

 

Hesitantly, Lena looked into Kara's eyes, green meeting blue. Smiling at her success, the blonde placed a hand over her's, running her thumb along the younger woman's knuckles support fully. When she glanced down at their joined hands, Kara gasped at what she saw; a ring of light purple and red wrapped around her wrist, the bruising standing out on Lena's white skin.

 

"What happened?" The young Danvers asked, dropping the cloth on the floor carelessly, pulling Lena's arm a bit closer to examine her injured wrist.

 

"Nothing," She murmured nervously. Could she trust Kara enough to tell her what her brother had done?

 

Kara furrowed her brow and reached up to cup Lena's tear-stained face, gently tilting her head up to look at her neck. Sure enough, there were more bruises around the front of her neck, angry and sore. She noticed a familiar pattern to the marks, eyes widening. "Lena, this looks like a hand." Kara dropped her hands back down to the brunette's lap, resting lightly on Lena's thighs.

 

Lena squeezed her eyes shut, unable to forget the feeling of Lex's fuming breath on her face, his evil gaze as she stood shoved against the wall, her air leaving her lungs. "I—It doesn't matter," She protested weakly.

 

"Of course it matters, Lena!" Kara exclaimed, unknowingly leaning closer to emphasize her words. "Who did this?"

 

"I can't..." She trailed off into another quiet sob.

 

"You can trust me, Lena. Please,"

 

There it was; that look in her eyes, her ocean eyes that she could drown in. Her heart ached from the concern and care in her tone and expression. Lena couldn't help but believe the effect that this beautiful princess had on her in such a short amount of time. "Lex."

 

It was too quiet. Kara couldn't hear her. "What?"

 

"It was Lex."

 

Kara almost choked on her tongue. Lena's own brother did this to her? Her own family, her own blood. It truly broke her heart as more tears spilled down Lena's cheeks. She thought he was a pompous, arrogant king before, but this just proved how despicable he could be. Kara had forgotten that the other Luthors even arrived. She was too busy laughing and riding with Lena that it just let her mind completely. Her bones began to tingle in rage at the stupid man that dared touch her.

 

"Where did you go? Where was he?" She asked through gritted teeth.

 

"H—He called me t—to his chambers," Lena stammered out, finding it hard to talk with the lump in her throat slowly growing as she recalled the confrontation. "Him a—and Lillian w—were upset ab—about the delay o—of the wedding."

 

Kara saw Lena becoming more and more upset throughout her sentence. Once again without thinking she cupped her betrothed's face tenderly, wiping her tears away for her as they fell. "Hey, you don't have to go on," She whispered, aiming to sooth the woman by pushing a stray lock of raven hair behind her ear. She could clearly see how exhausting it was to Lena when she tried to form a sentence, but only a choked sob escaping her lips. Judging by the angry bruises on her neck, Kara guessed it probably hurt to speak as well.

 

She looked up at Lena, wondering how someone could still look so beautiful even as they were so vulnerable and sorrowful. It took the blonde while to break her thoughts off as she realized Lena's breathing became quicker by the second, the thin woman grasping at her own chest as if something was burning her there, her lush green eyes as wide as half-dollar coins, staring straight ahead into space as she squirmed.

 

Kara had seen this many times in herself after her parents had died and she came to live with the Danvers, the remembrance that her entire kingdom was destroyed to ashes as she lied awake at night; a panic attack. In that instant, the only thing in Kara's head was to comfort Lena, knowing all too well that feeling of the room closing up around you, your breath coming in too fast yet not fast enough, your nerves set aflame.

 

"Lena, calm down," She started, continuing with her small ministrations on her wet cheeks. The young Luthor didn't change, only panicking harder, breathing loud and husky. "Breathe. Just breathe."

 

"I—" Was the only sound that came out of her mouth, followed by a frustrated and terrified cry.

 

_What do I do? What does Alex do when I'm..._

 

Kara suddenly had an idea: She remembered whenever she had a panic attack and Alex was helping her through it, she would tell her to slow down and ground herself by listening to the birds outside, or her big sister's voice. Acting on plain instinct, Kara grabbed Lena's uninjured wrist and brought it up to her own chest, laying it flat over her heart.

 

"Here, feel this? Yeah?" She asked desperately, paying close attention to see if Lena's condition had changed at all. She was still breathing fast and had worry written on her features, but at least now she wasn't looking into space, she was looking into her eyes. "Just feel my heartbeat, okay? Just feel it."

 

Kara would be lying to herself if she said that having Lena touch her anywhere other than her hands was sending shivers down her spine, but she couldn't help it. Crying or smiling, Lena was beautiful and Kara considered herself very lucky that if she was going to be forced to marry anyone—man or woman—she would be marrying someone as intriguing and attractive as this girl in front of her. In her mind, she was nothing compared to Lena, and for some reason, that knowledge made her even happier; she was blessed by the gods that the Luthor was in her life, despite the fact that a Luthor almost took her life away when he killed off her entire kingdom, family.

 

Setting her thoughts aside, for now, focusing on calming Lena down from her terrified state. "Lena, listen to my voice," She gripped the raven-haired princess closer to her chest and kept a hand on her cheek that was not cut, requiring Lena to kept her eyes locked with her's. "I know it's hard, but just try to breathe slower, and listen to my voice."

 

Finally, Lena nodded and worked to control her frantic breaths as she gripped the bedsheets with her free hand. Kara could tell by the way Lena was acting that this most likely was not her first panic attack, but she probably hadn't had one so serious before. "There you go," Kara cooed when the younger's breaths got more slow and quiet after a few seconds.

 

The young Danvers kept soothing her thumb over Lena's cheek as the latter continued to calm herself down and push through the fear that had swept itself into her body by the cruel acts of her brother and mother. "I a—I'm s—so sorry," She stumbled out meekly, broken out of her panicked state with a shattered sob, muffled by her palm that she hovered over her mouth.

 

Kara immediately shook her head. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for."

 

Lena's stunning emerald green orbs began to well up with more tears at the strong and sincere tone of the woman across from her, the love in her smooth voice. "B—But Lex—"

 

"Will never hurt you again," Kara finished her sentence for her, removing their hands from over her heart to stroke some of Lena's soft hair out of her face. "Not while I'm here. I am truly sorry that you had to face him and Lillian alone, But I promise you that he will never touch you again."

 

"You can't promise that. You don't know him," Lena objected, resisting the urge to lean into the blonde's touch.

 

"I can promise you, and I will." She declared, proceeding to wipe the fresh tears off of Lena's perfect skin. "Please, I'm asking you to trust me and hold me to my word." Kara had somehow forgotten what position she was in; one foot on the ground and her other knee pressed into the mattress right next to Lena's crossed legs, bodies much closer than they were accustomed to, almost as if a magnet was pulling both women closer and closer together.

 

Lena's heart swelled in her chest. Without thinking about it first, she pulled the blonde into a tight hug, once again bringing her arms around Kara's neck. The Luthors faint cries were muffled by her shoulder.

 

Kara froze. The only touch that Lena had initiated before was a kiss on the cheek, biding her goodnight. Even then, Kara's body lit up in flames. But having the younger princess reach out to her in such a gesture had her feeling hopeful that perhaps Lena was somewhat comfortable around her. If they never loved each other, then the least they could do was be relaxed in the presence of each other. Kara hoped that it wouldn't become just that, though.

 

The young heiress appreciated that the Luthor was calmer than before, so she snaked her arms around Lena's skinny torso and held her close against her own body, whispering words such as 'You're okay,' and 'Don't be afraid.' After a few minutes of rubbing soothing circles on Lena's shaking back, Kara felt the woman's breathing even out a little more and her sobs stop. She also noticed by the no longer tight grip on her neck that Lena had fallen asleep in her embrace.

 

Kara gently maneuvered both her and Lena off the bed until she was standing with the brunette in her arms, careful to move slowly as to not wake her up. The blonde recognized how exhausting a panic attack was, both mentally and physically, having experienced it many times throughout her years following the death of her parents and friends in Krypton. Kara carefully lied Lena down on the bed and tried to move away, but the Luthor's arms quickly tightened around her collar again.

 

"Kara..." Lena whispered, half asleep, eyes closed but brow furrowed.

 

"Just rest." She told her quietly, slipping her right arm out from underneath the brunette's back.

 

"Please don't leave me alone," The smallest voice she had ever heard begged, arms clinging to her desperately.

 

Kara was at a crossroad: She could either reject Lena's supplication and leave before anybody got suspicious, or before she could think that she was taking advantage of her vulnerable situation. Or, she could stay until Lena didn't need her anymore, then leave to allow the poor girl to rest and heal. Of course, Kara would not be able to live with herself knowing that she walked away while Lena needed somebody to rely on. Judging by the way her family and many other people treated and talked about her, the younger princess had no one to lean on until now, so the Kryptonian made up her mind easily.

 

"I'm not going anywhere."

 

"You won't?"

 

Kara smiled down as Lena's eyes opened slightly, checking to see if she was still there. "Just let pull the blanket over you. The evenings can get pretty cold." She briefly noted the afternoon sun setting outside of the window in the corner of her eye.

 

Seeming to comply, Lena unlocked her arms from around Kara's collar and allowed the blonde to reach down to the foot of the bed and grab the folded comforter, pulling it over the young Luthor's body. "Thank you," Lena breathed, completely exhausted as she felt the warmth of the fabric surround her.

 

Kara didn't answer her, only knelt down at the side of the bed at gasped Lena's hand in her's, ghosting her thumb over the engagement ring around her small finger the diamonds and polished silver standing out on her porcelain hand. She smiled widely at the knowledge that Lena not only kept it but openly wore the ring around other people as well.

 

The raven-haired princess stirred and gripped Kara's hand tighter as she wove her fingers in with her's. The Kryptonian built up a little bit of courage and brought their entwined hands up to her mouth and kissed the spot just above the wedding band. "I'll be right here, just rest." Her warm lips lingering on Lena's knuckles as she whispered to her.

 

She patiently waited and watched as Lena's eyes closed and lied her head down on the silk pillow. Kara's smiled wavered slightly as she looked closer at the woman's neck, noting the bruises around her throat. She still didn't understand how someone could do something so violent to such a special and kind person. Perhaps she never would.

 

{***}

 

"How did it go with Kara?" Alex asked her girlfriend after they had showered off the dirt and sweat from their day of fighting, training, and worrying. Both women were now chatting in Maggie's quarters. Since many of the other soldiers were out guarding the castle or whatnot, the two lovers were able to be alone for a little while without having to sneak about the kingdom.

 

"It went surprisingly well," Maggie recalled the conversation between her and the youngest Danvers that morning. "She wasn't as threatening as I thought she'd be, though."

 

"Oh?" The auburn-haired woman's eyebrows lifted slightly. "What do you mean?"

 

"Well, she immediately wanted to get to know me and told me that I was her second big sister." She stated, chuckling at the memory of childlike excitement in Kara's eyes. 

 

Alex smiled with her lover, moving to sit down on Maggie's cot in the guards quarters, holding hands as they sank down onto the small mattress. "Yeah, she acts all tough and everything around people, but in private you really get to see the innocent child side of her." She said, grateful that her sister was nice to her girlfriend and seemed to make a good impression.

 

"Seems like she lives up to her nickname."

 

A far-off look began to form in Maggie's eyes and Alex noticed. "What's wrong?" She squeezed her hands to bring the shorter woman's attention back to her.

 

Their eyes met again and Maggie shook her head with a half smile. "Nothing is wrong, I'm just thinking about some of the things she said to me."

 

"Like what?" Alex asked, taking a second to resituate herself on the bed.

 

"Honestly, I've just been running what Kara said about me being her big sister over and over in my mind. I mean, I've never had siblings before. I joined the Meedia Kingdom's army as soon as I was old enough to get away from home, then got transferred here." Maggie's gaze pointed down to her lap. "My parents didn't want me in their home anymore after they found out I don't like men."

 

"Hey," Alex lifted her chin with a finger, both sets of brown eyes meeting again. "It doesn't matter what they think of you. Your parents were wrong to push you away like that, and it's their loss that they cast you out."

 

The way she said those words with such confidence caused the nerves in Maggie's insides to light up. "You know, I might not make any sense, but it feels very nice to have someone that supports me for who I am." Lips pulled into a wide smile, she leaned forward and brought Alex's lips onto hers, sighing into the kiss when the taller woman returned it, cupping her cheeks as the kiss deepened  
somewhat.

 

Before their embrace could get any more heated, Maggie swiftly grabbed Alex by her forearms and reluctantly pulled away, resisting the urge to smirk as the princess chased her lips when they pulled away. "Alex, we can't do this here,"

 

"But your dimples are too cute to resist!" The older Danvers whined, curling her bottom lip over the top one to make a pouting face.

 

Despite trying to be serious, Maggie couldn't help but laugh at her adorable girlfriend. "Someone could catch us."

 

"Oh, look at you trying to be the voice of reason."

 

She rolled her eyes. "I just don't want us to get caught. I don't even know how we're going to tell your mother yet."

 

"Well, it's a good thing she's been so busy at court and with the Luthors."

 

Maggie tilted her head and squinted a little, puzzled as to why her lover seemed to spit out the Luthor name like it was poison. "I know that Thorul isn't run by the nicest royals in the world, but I don't understand why the Luthors are so...hated."

 

Alex's chocolate eyes bugged out almost comically wide. "What? You don't know about the Luthor family?"

 

The brunette shook her head, straightening herself up on the cot, still close to Alex. "I tend to not listen to the gossip around here. All I know is that the last king destroyed the first Capital of the Seven Kingdoms in war. But that was quite a few years ago, right?"

 

Alex sighed heavily before replying. "Before you came to be a knight here, the Luthors have always wanted our throne because of our title as the new Capital. When Lex became king, one of the first things he had done was order his men to take Nationell Citi, but we fought back." She grinned self-consciously, proud of their strong army for defending her family's kingdom. "It's always been on and off with them. Fighting, resting, fighting, resting. Because of all of the strife with the Luthors, both sides have been getting weaker and weaker with every battle for the dominion."

 

Maggie nodded along, waiting for Alex to pause so she could say what was on her mind. "Is that why this whole arranged marriage thing is happening with Kara and the princess?"

 

"Yes. My mother and King Lex agreed that by joining Lena Luthor and my sister together in marriage, then both sides would have a period of peace, allowing Nationell Citi and Thorul to recover from its losses, but I still don't trust him on his word... And I don't trust Princess Lena either.  
The auburn-haired princess pursed her lips together briefly in thought before adding, "Plus, they have a reputation for having many of the Kingdom's business partners that have disagreed on a bargain mysteriously die just days later, nobody having any idea how they died."

 

Finally able to get the whole story from her, Maggie now understood a bit more as to why Alex had practically been pulling her hair out from stressing about her sister. Kara was marrying an enemy to their Kingdom in hopes to save it.

 

"I didn't know, I'm sorry." Maggie gripped her lover's leg tightly, the light pressure conveying an emotion of understanding and comfort to the taller woman.

 

"It not your fault," Alex shrugged, smiling half-heartedly. "And it worse for Kara, without a doubt. I mean, after everything with Krypton—" She stopped herself, forgetting about her sister's well-kept secret during their conversation. _Damn it, you can't just throw that out there like that!_ Alex scolded herself, nervously avoiding the other woman's gaze and bit her lip, trying to play it casually as if nothing had happened.

 

"What about Krypton?" Maggie questioned. Alex had hoped she wouldn't say anything about her tiny slip-up, but it was too late.

 

"N—Nothing. I didn't mean to say...What I meant was..." She trailed off with a hopeless exhalation. Alex knew she could leave it like that, trying to think of the right words to say. "Listen, it's not my place to tell you; it's Kara's. All I can say is that Nationell Citi may be pissed with the Luthors trying to usurp us, but Kara has some... history with them."

 

Maggie's brow furrowed, closing her eyes halfway as she shook her head in confusion."I don't understand—'Not your place?'"

 

"Look, I wish I could clear all of this up for you, but I can't." The tanned knight opened her mouth to speak, but Alex quickly interjected. "Please don't ask why. It's quite complicated. I shouldn't have said anything, so I beg of you just forget what I said."

 

"Fine," Maggie complied, still suspicious from the faint blush coloring Alex's cheeks. "I'll forget it... _For now,_ at least."

 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, the older Danvers pressed a quick kiss to her lips, pulling away to brush their noses together. "Thank you. Now, how about we continue _this part_ of our conversation in my chambers." She stood slowly and grabbed Maggie's hand, both women wearing matching smirks as she led her lover through the castle to her room.

 

"Yes, Your Highness." They both laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought down in the comments!
> 
> Next Chapter: Wednesday, April 24th, 2019.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *giggles in gay*

Kara stayed up all night as Lena slept unmoving in her chambers. She kept a respectful distance from the exhausted princes in a cushioned chair near the foot of the bed, watching the sun go down past the large snow-dusted mountains and tall trees, and continued to gaze outside at the bright stars and glowing moon that peaked through the veil of clouds, shining onto the streets of Nationell Citi's town below. The Kryptonian normally had trouble staying still in such a dark and quiet area, but she felt as if Lena's room was like a sacred place. It didn't feel wrong to be there, it just felt different.

 

Thanks to her remarkably heightened vision, Kara was able to look around the room in the dark, taking note of a few things. The first was that Lena seemed to be a very tidy person. Everything was in its place, from her clothing to the furniture, making it seem almost like a dollhouse. The second thing was that the youngest Luthor's room had a different view than hers; The window in Kara's quarters looked out into the left side of the Kingdom. That section had much more natural elements than actual buildings, like plains, fields, and forests of vibrant green trees, but the right side—Lena's side—gave her a great view of the large town underneath and lovely mountains and hills further away. Lastly, it was clear that the room didn't hold many of Lena's things. There was nothing that made the chambers feel like hers, like unique jewelry or other trinkets.

 

Kara knew that when she and Lena were married they would have to share a room, making this one only temporary for her, but it still made her slightly saddened that the younger heiress hadn't yet acquired anything for herself in the Kingdom just yet. She made another mental note to show her the market in town, as well as the dressmaker inside of the palace's walls.

 

Her mind also jumped to the earlier events just hours ago: Lena shaking with sobs and clinging to her as she told her about how Lex and Lillian had confronted her about the suspension of their wedding, roughing her up quite a bit to the point where the young princess launched herself into a panic attack, crying tears of fear at the thought of Kara leaving her side for only a few seconds.

 

Being a princess, as well as a high rank in the military and respected fighter, Kara naturally knew that some people were just heartless, horrible individuals with no care about anyone feelings or pain, but that didn't stop her from repeating the same question over and over in her head: Why? How?

 

How could Lex hurt his sister so freely, almost choking her to death in front of his mother, and how could Lillian just stand there and watch? The mere thought of bringing that much pain to someone, and for something so insignificant, irked her deep down in her soul. She wasn't just bothered, she was angry.

 

Kara was mad about many things; the death of her whole Kingdom, angry that she could do nothing to stop it, that the distance between her and her family was now too great to cross. She was angry that she was so perplexed. It was confusing to think that tomorrow, she would be wedding a woman that did not choose her to be her life companion, all because her nitwit of a brother supposably wanted peace after a series of battles he so selfishly started with her adoptive family. Now, every time she thought about Lex's stupid, _disgusting_ face, she just wanted to—

 

A shuffling movement on the soft, dark bedding in the dim luminescence caught her attention. Forcing her numb legs back to life again, Kara slowly pulled herself out of the chair and over to the side of the bed frame. Coming into view was a sleepy Lena, lying on her back with an uncomfortable grimace on her face. Her hands were balled into fists around the single blanket covering her slim figure, her breathing slightly erratic and head moving from side to side in obvious distress.

 

Despite her somewhat tired state, Kara gathered herself together and carefully laid a hand on the Luthor's shoulder and shook it very gently, afraid to startle her any further. "Lena, it's me," She whispered when the younger princess continued to thrash about quietly.

 

"N—No, Lex," The words out of Lena's mouth came out in a hushed whimper. She instantly knew what the girl was dreaming about.

 

"It's Kara. Lex isn't here, it's just me." She stopped shaking Lena, keeping light pressure on her shoulder, slowly trailing her hand down to her upper arms.

 

Her voice seemed to strike something inside of the young Luthor. Lena instantly opened her eyes and shot up quickly, almost making the blonde jump in surprise. Frantic glances around the room confirmed that she was still fearful of what she saw in her mind, trying to seek out the sound within her dark environment.

 

"Woah, it's okay. You were just dreaming." Kara made her presence known, putting herself into Lena's view and making sure to keep a calm expression to somewhat ease the dark-haired girl's staggered awakening.

 

The Luthor's piercing green eyes focused on her, instantly stilling her movements and calming down. Kara internally cheered herself for having that effect on her. "I... Did I wake you?" Lena asked groggily, voice thick with sleep.

 

"No. I wasn't asleep." She answered.

 

"How long was I—" Lena didn't get to finish. She wordlessly coughed and reached up to her neck, wincing as her fingers made contact with her bruised skin.

 

Kara furrowed her brow in worry, instinctively rushing forward to check on her betrothed. She studied Lena's neck as best as she could in the darkness, gently pulling the younger princess' hand away to see the damage done. "Careful, you might still be a little sore for a few hours." Lena nodded sadly and slowly, covering her mouth with a fist as she continued to cough, obviously in pain. Searching for a temporary solution, the Kryptonian signaled for her to wait just a moment and quickly shuffled across the room, grabbing a nearby glass and filling it with water from the pitcher on the wooden table.

 

"Here, drink this." She handed the sleepy woman the glass of water.

 

Lena graciously accepted the water, bringing the cup up to her lips and drinking the liquid appreciatively. "Thank you," She murmured once she lowered the glass from her mouth.

 

"Don't worry about it." Kara shrugged.

 

"No, not for the water," Lena shook her head. "Thank you for... dealing with me yesterday. I haven't had a panic attack like that in... Ever." She absently fiddled with the rim of her cup, not able to meet the blonde's gaze.

 

The moonlight coming from the open window cast an attractive light over Lena's features, forcing Kara to practically melt onto the bed, coming to sit down on the side next to the raven-haired woman's legs. "Lena, you aren't something to deal with, you're a person." She brought her hand down to her shin, tracing meaningless patterns as she spoke. "And I wouldn't have thought twice about it. What your brother did to you is despicable, and you did not deserve that by any means."

 

Although unable to meet Kara's eyes, Lena still smiled down at her lap. "You can't mean that."

 

"Yes, I do," Kara answered, so firm, yet so soft at the same time. When Lena continued to avoid her eyes, the blonde sighed heavily, desperate to tell her everything she was thinking about all of the circumstances. "Trust me, I would know better than anyone whether or not you are a good person. It is clear to me now that because of what Lionel...because of what your family has done in the past does not mean that you are the same." She internally slapped herself for her mistake. Kara could never tell her the truth about her family, her deeper connection to the Luthors... Not right now.

 

"I have spent my whole life feeling cursed and unwanted by anyone that has laid their eyes on me," Lena sheepishly admitted, swallowing nervously. "My entire childhood I was told stories of how people were so cruel in Nationell Citi because they considered themselves better than everybody else, but then I am sent here against my will to marry a woman I do not know, and I have felt better here with you than I ever could've dreamed of..."

 

Despite the beautifully touching words that Lena had expressed, the young Danvers could tell that she wasn't finished. She continued her light ministrations to the brunette's leg, ever so slightly drifting up to her thigh.

 

"But I'm afraid, too. I find myself fearing that one day I will wake up and you will not be here, that you're just a figment of my imagination. It cannot be possible that someone so thoughtful and charming is actually real." A sniffle was heard at the end of her sentence, drawing Kara even closer in order to comfort the princess.

 

Kara grabbed the glass once filled with water and set it down on the floor, bending back up to see Lena holding back tears from her emotional confession. "I assure you, Lena, I am real." She stretched forward and tenderly held the raven-haired woman's hands in both of hers. "I beg of you, tell me how I can prove that to you."

 

Many beats had passed before Lena had answered, but once she did, Kara was positive her Kryptonian heart had skipped a beat...

 

"Will you kiss me?"

 

Lena looked up at her with an indescribable expression; worry, excitement, sadness, hope. There wasn't just one word to describe the almost overwhelming amount of beauty in a single person's eyes. The intense green of the youngest Luthor's orbs sent an incredibly powerful shiver down Kara's spine. She never thought Lena would say that, and it showed distinctly on her shocked features. They hadn't really gotten further than holding hands and gentle touches on Kara's part.

 

"Are you sure?" She asked tentatively. Kara didn't want to kiss her without being absolutely sure Lena wanted it as well.

 

"Yes," Lena responded instantly, bolder than the last time she spoke. "I can't explain this feeling I have when I'm around you, and I doubt you feel it as well, but nothing like this has ever happened to me before." She gestured vaguely to herself.

 

"I don't think—"

 

Lena's pleading words stopped her. "Please, just help me understand."

 

For the first time in a long time, Kara finally understood. She understood that whatever feeling she had slowly growing inside of her whenever she was in the younger princess' company, the Luthor felt it, too. Of course, Lena wasn't just a pretty face to her, she was also witty and considerate in many situations, notwithstanding everything she had gone through; the drastic change from Thorul to Nationell Citi, coming here with nothing but herself to marry a stranger. Lena was strong in many different ways, and Kara was honored that she got to see that side of her every now and then. Possibly Kara's...fondness regarding Lena wasn't as one-sided as she originally believed.

 

"Okay." Kara timidly nodded her head, not sure what to do or say after that. "I—Umm...I've never done this before. Kissed anyone, I mean." She confessed out in a rush once she swallowed the lump in her throat down.

 

"Me too," The woman across from her admitted, ducking her head as she ran a hand through her raven-colored locks nervously.

 

Sensing her tense behavior, Kara made the first move; pushing herself up from the mattress to sit closer to the brunette, veins lit up with... excitement. The Kryptonian rested her hand on Lena's thigh and built up enough courage to reach out and lift the Luthor's chin up to meet her eyes that sparkled brilliantly in the moonlight. That one simple action brought both women so much closer to each other, Kara swearing she could almost feel the younger's hot breath on her face. The feelings running through her body were completely indescribable as she noticed Lena's irises briefly gaze down to her lips, then snap back up again.

 

Inching closer together, the blonde momentarily forgot how to breathe. Her hand instinctively came up from Lena's chin to her cheek, careful to avoid the healing cut. The cold air and sounds surrounding them suddenly died out, and Kara could only speak in a whisper. "Do you want me to stop?"

 

"No." Lena shyly reached out and took the loose fabric of Kara's shirt into her fists in an effort to pull her closer, forcing the blonde to do just that.

 

The passionate tension that had grown around both heiress'—not just across the past few minutes, but many other days as well—suddenly became too much to bear. Ignoring the insanely fast beating of her heart, Kara gladly shut her eyes and closed the distance between her and her betrothed, capturing Lena's warm, soft lips in a kiss.

 

It was slow and sweet, just what both women needed at that moment. The intense emotion flooding through Kara and Lena in one swift rush was like nothing they had ever felt before. Their lips just seemed to fit together perfectly, making it that much greater. Throwing any sense of propriety out of the window, Kara followed her instincts and shifted her body to get a better angle, not once breaking their kiss as she braced herself with her arms and twisted them down onto the bed, her body coming to hover on top of Lena's, slotting her legs between the younger's.

 

Every fiber of her being lit up in flames as Lena let go of her shirt and instead wrapped her arms around her broad back and lightly scratched the muscle there, causing Kara to sigh happily into her mouth. Neither princess had ever kissed another man or woman before, but somehow everything that was happening just felt so natural and... _real._ Lena knew now; her feelings towards Kara weren't fueled by her imagination or dreams, it was real. All of it. The warmth of her lips on hers helped confirm that. Nothing anybody had ever done or said to her gave Lena this reaction, this feeling of pure desire and passion. It was blank before Kara, and she had shown the Luthor what it felt like to be welcomed and understood.

 

After locking lips for a few more moments, the youngest Danvers had to pull away for air, immediately missing the feeling of Lena kissing her with such want. She rested her forehead on her soon-to-be wife, dropping down to her elbows without crushing Lena underneath her. " _Wow._ " The single word came out in a hurried breath.

 

Kara's heart beat faster in her chest as Lena giggled and cupped her face and affectionately pushing her apart from her forehead to look up into those beautiful ocean-blue eyes. "Indeed," She smiled brightly as she leaned up to peck the blonde's lips once more. "Thank you."

 

"Don't worry about it," Kara joined in on the Luthor's giggling this time, remembering a part of their previous conversation. All of the pent up frustration and fear washed right out of both women right then and there, looking up at one another with an abundance of attraction and happiness. It was incredible to feel like they were the only two people in the world for just a few moments.

 

"I—I would like to do that again," Kara bit her lip, anxious to know what came next. "If you would like to as well."

 

"Yes." Lena nodded slowly but enthusiastically at the same time, eager to explore the brand new experience. She couldn't explain how joyful she felt that Kara shared her feelings towards each other.

 

"This is all happening so fast," Kara breathed out. It was the truth; they hadn't known each other for even a week yet, but somehow the condition they were in together felt right. It seemed normal, even if it was everything except normal. The fire coursing through her blood at the mere touch of Lena's soft hands on her skin was almost overwhelming; in the best way.

 

"Too fast?"

 

The hint of nervousness in Lena's small, sweet voice prompted her to capture the younger's lips briefly, sinking further into the Luthor's space. "Not for me." She reassured her softly.

 

"Why does this feel so _amazing?_ " Lena wondered out loud, dropping a hand below to hold over her racing heart in a futile attempt to calm it down.

 

"Well, thank you." Kara joked, smirking widely as she moved her body off of Lena's, pulling the youngest Luthor into a sitting position with her, legs still tangled together comfortably.

 

"I've had better," Lena jested right back, smirking even wider as Kara blushed at her lie. She quickly sobered up, squeezing the blonde's forearm as she relished in the feeling of being so close to someone who wanted the same. "Honestly, I'm glad you were the first person I got to kiss."

 

Kara's beaming grin sent pleasantly strong bursts of lightning down her whole frame, ending at her fingertips. "I am too," She whispered truthfully, unable to stop herself from leaning in again and pressing their slightly kiss-swollen lips together, smiling into the embrace.

 

Once they separated again, the raven-haired princess' chest expanded at the peaceful sensation blossoming inside of her. Before Kara had kissed her or had even held her hand, the young Luthor hadn't realized how touch-starved she was. It had been years since she had been hugged, and even then it was only with Lex, and just for show to other nobles visiting Thorul on business. The unusually powerful warmth radiating from the young Danvers's touch bewildered her; Kara was so sunny and bright, but Lena was cold and second-rate compared to the other heiress.

 

Almost as if she read her mind, Kara furrowed her brow at her sudden stiffness. "Is something troubling you?" It wasn't really a question. She didn't need Lena to respond for her to know that something was bothering the woman.

 

"I was just lost in my thoughts," Lena tried to smile reassuringly, but the Kryptonian didn't need her powers to see right through her.

 

"Do you wish to tell me about them?" She asked nicely. When Lena tensed up a little, she continued, understanding that it was most likely a sensitive issue. "You don't always have to keep everything to yourself, Lena. I want to listen. No one is going to judge you."

 

Not many times in her life could Lena say that she felt safe talking about what she thought about, but she prized the fact that right now was one of those times she knew she could. "I have never considered myself to be a fortunate person. My family has hated me from birth, and nobody trusts me because of what they've done to the Kingdoms." The blonde winced at the end of her sentence but quickly recovered, sensing the deeper meaning there. "At first, I just assumed that you were being so polite towards me in an effort to later stab me in the back, but...I guess I find myself thinking about what I've done in my life to—to deserve you. To earn this level of respect and gratitude."

 

Instantly, Kara's heart broke. This woman in front of her was too pure and too precious to be feeling so doubtful surrounding herself. Wrapping her arms around Lena's thin waist, the blonde easily pulled her closer, the younger basically sitting on her lap. "There have been so many things that I've been unsure of these past few days, but one thing that I am _absolutely certain_ of is that if anyone deserves to be happy and loved," She leaned in slowly, close enough to whisper in the gentlest voice possible. "That person is you, Lena."

 

For the second time that night Lena's eyes shined with unshed tears under the cloudless starlight, positively fortunate to observe the now familiar thrill of Kara's smooth lips locking with her's, and another unexpected feeling of Kara lowering both of their bodies back down onto the bed, this time side by side as they traded kisses along the way. Arms wrapped around one another in an aim to be as close as possibly achievable at that moment.

 

"I want to." Lena whispered into the air once they paused their gentle kisses.

 

"What?"

 

"I want to," She repeated, snuggling deeper into the blonde's warmth.

 

"I don't understand," Kara furrowed her brow in confusion from above her.

 

"Ever since we met you have been so understanding, so sure that I do not want this wedding," Lena clarified, closing her eyes as she breathed in deep, preparing herself for her next words. "But now I do want it. I want to marry you, and not because no one else wants me, but because for the first time in my life I feel okay..." She waited to see if Kara would react, but she stayed still, save for her arms clutching Lena's body just a tighter to her's. "You did that."

 

Then, it was quiet. For an extended amount of time, the only sound was the soft inhale and exhale of both princess' breathing. Suddenly, Kara found Lena's hand and ran her thumb along her knuckles, circling over the wedding band decorating her pale finger. Lena turned her head on Kara's chest and pointed her gaze down to look at their joined hands, smiling at the sight of the ring shining in the light from the window to their left.

 

"This ring belonged to my mother," Kara broke the growing silence reverently, almost afraid to destroy the peaceful atmosphere in the room.

 

Shocked by the older woman's revelation, Lena's breath caught in her throat. "It did?"

 

"Yes. My father gave it to her when he proposed to her, and his mother gave it to him, and her father as well." Kara lifted their hands up to get a closer look at the diamond band wrapped perfectly around her betrothed's finger. "It was given to me by my mother just before she died. Because of the fire, the only things I have left of my parents is this ring and a ratty old shirt." She said the last bit with a laugh to lighten the mood, but what actually came out was a melancholy huff with traces of feigned humor.

 

"Why would you give this to me? It must be special to you." She asked. Lena also briefly wondered how Kara's family could afford such a beautiful, pricy ring if they were only from a small village. She shoved those questions aside, for the time being, not wanting to step into a different place she shouldn't.

 

Kara stopped her ministrations to her knuckles and folded their fingers together, squeezing softly. "Because my mother would've liked you." She smiled and relived the good memories of her mother.

 

Lena looked up at her with lovely and youthful eyes. "How do you know?"

 

"Because I like you."

 

The brunette's heart swelled massively. The effects that Kara had on her filled Lena with happiness, and she was eternally grateful for the feeling of butterflies in her stomach at the serious tone of the blonde's voice. "I've grown quite fond of you, too." She replied, grinning widely, thankful for the dim lighting that Kara couldn't see her blush.

 

Lena laid her head back down on Kara's chest, sighing contently while the older princess welcomed her presence by pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head. The Kryptonian looked out the window to find the beginnings of the sun peeking over the mountain ridge in the distance. "It will be morning soon. You should get some sleep before the sun rises completely."

 

She nodded her head faintly in agreement, gripping Kara's hand a little stronger. "Can you stay with me? Right here." She waited for the polite rejection from the young Danvers, prepared to apologize for having the foolish impression that she would, but it never came.

 

"Of course," Kara whispered, grasping her hand equally as tight. That night was the night both princesses slept so peacefully, they didn't care to detangle their hands or legs while they drifted off to sleep; Kara falling into a deep slumber with a smile dusting across her face, and Lena listening to the steadiness of their heartbeats mixed together, noticing how Kara's was slightly quicker. She too happily fell into a pool of unconsciousness, the subtle thumping in her ears becoming a sweet lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaand the Ship has sailed!!
> 
>  
> 
> Next Chapter: Monday, April 29th, 2019.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually I make my chapters about 4k words or more, but this chapter is almost 6k words, so grab your popcorn. Thanks,
> 
> -L

The youngest Luthor inhaled a long, relaxed breath, feeling the most well-rested than she ever had in all her twenty years. The memories of the night quickly rushed into her head: Kara's soft, yet firm lips pressed against her's for the first time, the content sighs and occasional moans falling out of each other's mouths, Lena's head lying on Kara's chest as they fell asleep. Sadly, the peaceful atmosphere she had woken up to was broken when she realized that Kara wasn't sleeping by her side, the decently sized bed empty, save for her own fatigued self. Her mind instantly went straight to the worst assumption, like always. Was last night too much too soon? Did she scare Kara away after her request?

 

Lena began to asses her surroundings, looking for any clues as to why Kara left. After a second glace, she eyed a small note on the side table closest to her, a fancy 'Lena' scrawled over the front. It must have been from the blonde. The note also reminded her of the first one she had received from her. The raven-headed woman decided that she wouldn't mind receiving plenty more letters from the charming princess. Swiftly sitting up and thrust her hand forward for the note, Lena opened the piece of parchment with light excitement and anxiety. She was met with the same beautiful handwriting as the last note...

 

_**********_  
_Dearest Lena,  
Before you can worry about why I have left as the sun is just starting to rise, I must inform you that I must be with my sister to discuss and alter outfits for the wedding tomorrow. I am also sorrowed to say that I will not be able to see you until much later today because of all of the planning and guests arriving. Apparently, every corner of the Seven Kingdoms is eager to a marriage between a Luthor and a Danvers._

_Business matters aside, I just want to tell you that I'm very happy about last night. I've never told anyone about my mother's ring. For so long it was sitting at the bottom of one of my drawers because I thought it would be quite a long time before I could it give it to the man or woman right for me, but I now know that no matter how soon it is, that ring is being worn on the right hand, on the right person._

_Throughout my life, I used to read in storybooks about how your first kiss with someone is magical and wondrous. At first, I thought it was just a lie; an over-exaggeration about such an insignificant action. I know this might sound silly or not make any sense, but when we kissed I finally understood what the storytellers meant. My first kiss wasn't just magical and wondrous, it was... special. That's the only word that comes to my mind. I felt so alive and warm, like nothing I've ever felt before. My first kiss was special because it was with you, and I will be eternally honored that I was yours._

_If I were there in person then I would happily kiss you good morning if you'd allow me to, but for now, I'll just say 'see you soon.'_

_~Kara  
**********_

 

Completely smitten and touched by the beautiful note from her soon-to-be wife, Lena flopped down on the mattress while clutching the ink-filled parchment to her fluttering chest. In a matter of only two or three days, they went from nervous glances and blushing like children to thoughtful letters, falling asleep in a comfortable embrace and wanting to kiss each other when they wake up. The whole situation felt almost like a story from one of those books Kara had written about, but in the best way.

 

Imagining what she looked like currently; arms still holding the letter securely to her chest, legs dangling off the edge of her bed as her face blushed crimson at the thought of the tall, blonde, and incredibly charming Danvers heiress. A small, quiet giggle escaped her throat. Lena noticed how her neck wasn't hurting as bad anymore, and quickly stood up and walked over to the vanity above a small dresser. She peered into the mirror and lifted and tilted her head this way and that, eyeing the slightly purple bruises on her pale skin. She touched the small cut on her cheek below her eyeball, grateful that it didn't sting too bad. The laceration was about as big as a tiny blade of grass, but still there. The marks on her neck were much more noticeable.

 

Forgetting the happy feeling she attained only seconds ago, replaced by a growing sense of self-consciousness and fear. Perhaps makeup or some sort of jewelry could cover it up? She suggested to herself. No, a necklace would bring attention to her throat than if she just left it bare. Maybe nobody would notice. Everyone attending her wedding would most likely barely bat an eye her way, or spit at her feet first. There was no way that the hand shaped bruises on her wrist and neck would heal in only one day.

 

Of course, this could've been Lex's sick plan all along: mark her up days before her wedding where many nobles, as well as other king and queens, would be attending, watching her get married with questioning bruises on her skin. Lena felt humiliated just thinking about it, then another horrible thought planted itself in her head.

 

What if they'll think Kara did this to her?

 

Surely, it would raise many questions in several individuals minds: the great and kind Danvers princess wedding an enemy of her family, a Luthor. The people would expect Kara to have marks on her skin, after all, a Luthor is a Luthor. But when the Luthor princess shows up with the marks, what would Nationell Citi think of their beloved Crown Princess roughing up her bride shortly before their wedding ceremony? It would mean very bad news for Kara, but great news for Lex and Lillian.

 

Surely, to most people, this was just a panicked assumption made by a concerned or perhaps even paranoid woman, but Lena knew her brother and mother. She knew them better than quite a lot of people, and this twisted thought didn't seem as far-fetched when dealing with her harsh, cruel family. Lena could only imagine Lex smirking wickedly as everything slowly unfolded, Kara's reputation crumbling in front of her because of his actions. 

 

Lena didn't notice she was crying until she saw her tears shining in the window from the sun, the drops of sadness running down her cheeks and dripping down onto the wooden surface. She angrily wiped her tears away, knowing how satisfied Lex would be with himself if he knew she was crying alone in her bedroom mirror.

 

After a few seconds of mentally pulling herself together, Lena calmly refolded Kara's letter at the creases and rested it on top of the other note in her vanity drawer, managing a small smile at the thought of collecting several different touching notes from the youngest Danvers. A loud rap at her chamber door made her jump out of her stupor of thought, shutting the drawer quickly before spinning on her heels to face the door.

 

"Lady Luthor," An unfamiliar, slightly high-pitched female voice called out. Before Lena could respond or even wonder why they were here, the woman's words cut her off. "We've been sent to get your dress measurements for the ceremony tomorrow."

 

She panicked again, unable to speak from the familiar feeling of a lump in her throat. They could see her face, her bruises. It was just as she said, no one could see what Lex did to her. Even if she told somebody about what he did to her, no one would believe her, besides Kara. They would not understand why the Luthor King would damage his sister just before her arranged marriage. A contract of peace and this was the opposite.

 

"Lady Luthor?" The woman tried again, clearly not giving up even after the long period of silence.

 

"Who sent you?" Lena rasped out, doing her best to sound like she wasn't about to crawl underneath her bed to hide from the maids.

 

"Your mother, Your Grace." A different female's voice responded. There was more than one.

 

Lena's heart stopped working after those four simple words. She was correct; it was their plan all along, either to get her betrothed into serious trouble like this was all a prank of some sort that went too far, or just to mess with her head and emotions before an equally nerve-wracking event. Apparently, the maids took her words breaking the quietness as an invitation to enter. Lena's heart went from deadly still to pounding inside her ribs as she watched the doorknob turn and the beginnings of black shoes and light brown hair. Her eyes widened.

 

Without time to think Lena flipped herself back around to face the window, hoping they couldn't see her appearance in the mirror. The fear rose in her body, starting from her head all the way down to her feet. She knew what this horrific sensation led to, so she said the only words she could think of. "Get Kara."

 

"Your Grace?" The maids didn't understand her whisper, stepping closer.

 

Lena could hear their footsteps behind her and swallowed, gripping the back of the chair alongside the vanity in an attempt to steady herself. "Please get Kara." She begged louder as she squeezed her eyes shut, praying they wouldn't come any closer. If they saw her face, wrist, or throat, gods knows who they'd tell and what they'd say.

 

A split second of silent confusion past between the two unknown servants. "But Miss Kara is—"

 

"Go find her. It's a matter of great importance." She Did her best to sound as calm while struggling to keep herself from hyperventilating in front of more unfamiliar faces.

 

"Are you ill, Your Grace? Do you need to—"

 

" _I need Kara!_ " Lena demanded as loud as she could, fighting down the panic from what her mother and brother had done to her flesh. Her grip on the chair was so strong her knuckles were white and she would've thought she heard the wood splinter if it weren't for the fierce pounding in her ears.

 

The servants' silence suggested that they were giving worried glances between one another before deciding upon what to do. "Right away, Your Highness."

 

{***}

 

On the other side of the palace, both of the Danvers princesses were chatting absently inside of the main room of the Royal Tailors. Today the sisters were being fitted for their outfits for the wedding tomorrow. Eliza's gown had already been made ahead of time: an azure blue floor-length dress with many different hand-sewn designs that would complement the crown on her head. An outfit for a queen. Both princesses would be sporting suits; a sleek, black tuxedo had already been made for Alex, so all that was left was Kara's. She would be donning an angelic suit to match the all-white wedding dress that her bride would be wearing. Just the thought of Lena walking down the aisle in a crisp white gown made her fight off her blush.

 

"Honestly, Miss Kara, I don't see what the big deal is about all of this. It would be over soon if you would stand still." 

 

Kara huffed in an annoyed tone as the needleworker, Zari, stuck pins through the slightly too large fabric around the youngest Danvers' legs, starting at her thighs and coming down to her heels. Zari would occasionally poke her playfully with the tiny sticks of metal whenever she moved the wrong way or to shift the weight off of one leg to another. Thanks to her Kryptonian skin it didn't hurt as bad as it would for a normal human without the power of the yellow sun, but it still hurt her nonetheless, and that bothered her immensely.

 

"You're making this much more difficult than it has to be." Alex rolled her eyes from her seat against the wall, watching as the tall Kryptonian stood on the platform in front of a full-body mirror. Kara looked a little antsy, and Alex had presumed her sister was just a little more hyper this morning, simply itching to move about better or more freely.

 

"I just don't like standing here staring at myself for longer than five minutes." Kara justified matter-of-factly, quiet laughs erupting from the other two women in the room.

 

"But it will be worth it in the end," Alex stated, grinning as her adopted sister pouted like a child from where she stood. "You always look lovely in a suit, but this is a very special occasion. Every king and queen from around the Seven Kingdoms will be there, and you should look your best."

 

"Have I ever told you how much you sound like our mother?" The blonde smirked at her as she felt another pinch to her skin from the needles.

 

In return, the older Danvers ignored her glare as she spoke. "Zari, don't be afraid to rough her up a little."

 

The dressmaker simply chuckled and shook her head at the two sisters' teasing back and forth. It was hard not to be in their presence and not at least smile at the way both princesses behaved like teenagers abound each other.

 

"Yes, Your Grace." She muttered, amused by the way Kara glared down at her with mock anger.

 

"Traitor," Kara mumbled in return, crossing her arms.

 

"I think you mean 'Tailor.'" Alex quipped, smirking as both Kara and Zari rolled their eyes at the same time from her little joke.

 

A couple of painstaking minutes later Zari had finished pinning, measuring out, and sizing up the correct sheets of fabric on Kara's bottom half, still 'accidentally' poking the young heiress every now and then whenever she moved and disturbed her rhythm. Once done with the pants, the needleworker had Kara take off the pants very carefully, so as to not shift or pop any pins out of place. gently handing Zari the prickly fabric of her white suit-pants, Kara wasted no time in grabbing her darker colored trousers that she came in with and them putting back on, turning to Alex as the tailor left the room with the pants and her sketchpad full of numbers.

 

"What's got you so wound up today?" Alex questioned with a raised eyebrow, suspicious when her sister's cheeks were tinted slightly scarlet.

 

"I'm just bored very easily," Kara said, not at all convincing her sister to lay the question to rest.

 

"Horseshit," She cursed with a knowing smirk. "I've seen that look before. Did...Did you have se—"

 

"Alex! No! Nothing happened, alright?" Kara flushed heavily and stopped her sister before she could finish. "We just...I—" The blushing blonde stepped closer to the brunette and leaned in closer after taking a look around, making sure no one could hear them. "Lena and I kissed last night."

 

Alex took a step back in shock. "You kissed her?"

 

"Yes—well technically she—I guess I..." Kara stammered, trying to recall the moment in her head, which only made her face redden more, traveling down to her chest. "Yes, we kissed." She finally worded, flustered beyond relief at what Alex had been implying.

 

"Okay," Alex nodded slowly, clearly amused by the state of her sister. "Well, did you enjoy it?" She asked, growing more entertained by the way Kara almost whimpered with embarrassment.

 

"How is that—if—you shouldn't—" Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the Kryptonian tried again. "Of course I enjoyed it. She seemed to as well, but I've never done anything like that before." She self-consciously rubbed the back of her neck, waiting for an answer.

 

"Wow, you sure move quick." Alex teased, hands on her hips, sporting a wide grin.

 

The tips of Kara's ears started to burn under her gaze. "I told you, nothing else happened."

 

Alex's smirk subsided and a sweet, understanding smile replaced it. "Did you want to kiss her?" If she found out that the Luthor princess forced herself on her sister then there would be hell to pay.

 

"Yes." To the surprise of both women, Kara answered immediately, a steady voice washing over her previous stammering. "It was so amazing. I've never felt like that before."

 

"Like what?"

 

"Like I was flying." Kara smiled to herself as she stared down at the floor to avoid her big sister's teasing raised eyebrows and curl of her lips. She didn't expect to grow so close to Lena, but it wasn't at all unwelcome. Of course, it wasn't just because they were forced to be together by a contract or something, but because they wanted something else besides that; besides getting married for peace between feuding kingdoms, then just drawing a line in the sand, agreeing only to be civil. This felt real.

 

"I'm happy for you, truly." Alex's steady voice drew her out of her thoughts, as well as the older Danvers' warm hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder. "It's not every day that your little sister has her first kiss, after all." She didn't hesitate to throw one more tease at the blushing blonde, squeezing her shoulder with a solid grip.

 

"Thanks," Kara rolled her eyes again but grinned nonetheless at Alex's honest look. A beat passed in the air and she remembered the one problem poking at the front of her brain over the past few hours, giving the heiress a small headache. "But, I do have one concern..." She locked gazes with her adopted sister's questioning brown orbs. "I've been thinking a lot about it lately, and it just seems right—I think I'd like to... I kind of want to tell her about... me."

 

"What do you mean?" Alex shook her head in confusion. Mentally rewinding what her sibling said, it ultimately dawned on her what she meant. "About Krypton?"

 

Kara simply nodded, playing her fingers nervously like a child in trouble.

 

Alex gasped, pulling her hand off of Kara's shoulder as if it was as red hot as the rest of her face and neck, eyes wide. "Kara, you can't."

 

"But, Alex—" She tried, but her older sister stared her down, so she shut her mouth. _Of course she wouldn't take it well._

 

"No. No Nothing. Absolutely not. It's too dangerous." She waved her hand out in front of her, cutting it swiftly across the air to emphasize her words.

 

"I know what I'm doing," Kara defended, crossing her arms with a huff.

 

The auburn-haired woman clenched her fists in frustration at the Kryptonian's childish pout. "No, you don't! She's a Luthor. If her brother found out about you..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

 

"I've told you before she's nothing like Lex or Lillian." Kara tensed her jaw tight, growing tired of listening to that stupid sentence come out of other people's mouths, especially her sister's. She had seen first-hand how it affected Lena to be likened to her family, and she would do anything to make sure people knew that she wasn't wicked.

 

"You don't know that!" Alex groaned, throwing her hands up in the air, one of them coming back down to slide through her short hair annoyedly. "How do you know she's not just faking it, slowly luring you in with her hooks in order to—"

 

"Don't talk about her like that!" Kara shouted, stomping forward to stare down at her sister, thankful for the few inches she had on her. "I am sick of you scolding me like a clueless child! After everything that we've been through why can't you trust me now? Stop assuming and just listen to me!"

 

Alex was speechless once again. Her mind was remembering the day they had been informed about the arranged marriage, and how angry Kara was at the beginning, shouting at her about it being her fault. She knew that her sister didn't really mean what she said that day, but right now Kara's firm, loud voice and strong look showed her that everything about what she shouted at her for this time was serious. It was Alex's turn to look down at her feet, rethinking things: One side of her knew she shouldn't doubt her sister, but the on the other side, she also knew that feelings for someone could make you do reckless, blind things.

 

"You can't tell her," Alex broke the silence. She wanted to protect her, and keeping her secret seemed like the best way to do so. "You know more than anyone how despicable they are—"

 

The sound of the Royal Tailor's door flinging open caused both women to snap their heads in that direction. What their eyes were met with was two maids panting from doing whatever it was they had done before interrupting the sisterly argument, eyes bugged out with...fear? Nervousness? "We're terribly sorry, Your Highness's," The taller, brunette servant bowed half-heartedly, almost folding over from exhaustion.

 

"Princess Lena is demanding Miss Kara's presence." The other one finished her fellow staff member's sentence. "We told her you were busy, but—"

 

"What happened?" Kara urged, concern creeping up into her bones and giving her an unsteady feeling. _If Lex touched her again..._

 

"We don't know wh—what happened. She seemed to b—be in distress. Lady Luthor's mother asked us to measure her daughter for her wedding dress and..." Kara drowned out the rest of what the maids had said, her eyes narrowing as she heard the mention of Lillian Luther. If Lena was in trouble, she wasn't going to just stand there. "...but we couldn't calm her down, Your Grace."

 

From behind her, Alex looked to see what her sister would say or do next. Somehow, she could swear she saw smoke coming out of her ears."Kara, perhaps it's nothing..."

 

In a fraction of a second Kara rushed forward, pushing past the two maids in able to charge out the door. Alex ran after her, quickly muttering an apology to both women for her sister's hurried behavior. Sensing the apprehension in every step Kara made, the older Danvers picked up the pace a little to try and catch up to her. The blonde used just the littlest amount of her Kryptonian endurance to speed through halls, corners, and stairs, forgetting her sister and only focussing on her main objective: Lena. She ignored the questioning looks from anyone she ran past, drowning out Alex's calls for her to wait or slow down.

 

{***}

 

After a whole minute of blazing through the castle like a madman, Kara pulled herself to a stop at Lena's room, wasting no time in knocking before turning the handle and stepping inside, frantically searching around chambers before her eyes landed on her raven-headed betrothed faced away from her. If Kara could see her, she was almost sure the Luthor was staring a hole into the floor. Assessing her surroundings, Kara noticed that there was no visible danger and nothing seemed out of place, except for the woman in front of her.

 

"Lena?" She made her presence known, observing how the younger woman didn't turn around when she barged in, only jumping slightly at the unexpected intrusion.

 

At the sound of her voice, Lena turned around with a gasp. "Kara?" She breathed out in relief as their eyes met, the Luthor's instantly softening. She was holding her hands to her chest, one wrapped around her bruised wrist to cover it.

 

Both princesses didn't hesitate to move closer to each other, Kara instantly pulling her into her personal space, heart rate calming down just the slightest at the knowledge that Lena was alright. At least from what she could see. "What's wrong?" She swept a loose strand of raven hair away from the woman's face that had fallen out of her french braid. The blonde felt Lena's hands snake up and rest on her shoulders, so she placed her hand on the younger's cheek, the other gripping her waist to keep her close.

 

"My bruises," Lena started breathing heavily despite her lack of movement.

 

Kara's heart physically hurt at not only her words, but the way she said it, the way she appeared to curl into herself. "Do they still hurt?" She questioned, able to see the distinctive marks on her betrothed's pale skin better in the sunlight.

 

"N—No, it's not that..." Lena shook her head, fear creeping up her throat until she forced the words out. "Lex and my mother sent the servants to me. They knew someone would see my marks."

 

Kara was confused but furious at the same time. "He wanted to bruise you on purpose?" It wasn't really a question. She already had her answer from the sad, fearful expression in the youngest Luthor's small face.

 

"If the servants see me when they take my measurements, then they'll think it was you," Lena said it all very fast, panicking as she thought of what the people of Nationell Citi would assume.

 

The tall blonde didn't know what to make of the situation. She was beyond puzzled, yet something inside of her whispered that everything Lena had said was true. "How can you be sure?"

 

"I know them. Lex knows that no one would suspect him or Lillian... They're my family." She explained, refraining from spitting out the last few words. Instead, she leaned further into Kara's comforting and concerned embrace. It truly warmed her heart to know that Kara easily came to her rescue despite not knowing exactly why she was being summoned. "To the anyone else, he would have no real reason. And no one would dare blame anything on a Luthor to their face, especially a king."

 

Kara could feel the conflict in Lena's words, wishing she could just snap her fingers and take the pain away. "You're worried about what people will think of me?" She guessed, heart still aching because of the genuine affection and innocence radiating off the woman in front of her. The next thing she felt was the brunette gripping the neck of her tunic with slightly unsteady hands, pulling her back to reality.

 

"How could I not?" Lena furrowed her brow as if actually wanting an answer. "I'm so sorry, you wrote you were busy today with everything going on, and I apologize for putting more on top of you, but I just—mh!"

 

Kara's lips collided with her's, stopping her rambling before it could end, kissing her more passionately than the last time. The Kryptonian didn't just kiss Lena because she missed the feeling, but also because she was just too flattered and moved by the simple actions and words Lena did that were so unlike the rest of the Luthors... Dead and alive. As their lips moved in sync for a few more seconds, Kara's other hand joined at Lena's thin waist while the younger of the two cupped the blonde's face firmly, yet oh so gently at the same time, their hearts beginning to race again. In a good way.

 

Completely lost in the feeling of Lena sighing dreamily into her mouth, Kara almost didn't hear the sound of a person bounding down the hall outside the door, growing louder with every footfall. Reluctantly breaking their much-wanted embrace to glance at the opening. She mentally cursed herself for not shutting the door during her hurried entrance. Hearing the approaching footsteps as well, Lena gasped and jumped straight into her fearful thoughts again, wondering who it was, what they wanted, if she would be in trouble with her awful family once more. The one thing that didn't stop her from blowing up into a full-on repeat of last night's panic attack was Kara standing tall in front of her, shielding her from view with her muscled torso, a hand reaching back to hold her's reassuringly.

 

Instead of it being a fuming Lillian or Lex, or another curious maid, a tall woman with familiar short auburn hair ran up to the door, knocking her shoulder against the wall to stop herself from running any further. "Kara?" She called out. Her breath was stolen from her lungs as she gasped in air.

 

"Alex," Kara's shoulders slumped in relief, but her protective stance still stood.

 

"You can't just run off like that," She scolded her between panting breaths. "Zari's going to want to know where you are. Why did—" The older Danvers stopped and peered behind her sister, eyeing the onyx-black hair that didn't belong to her, and wide green eyes. The Luthor. She looked like a scared puppy cowering behind the heiress, holding onto her little sister's arm and hand like a lifeline. "What's going on now?" She rolled her eyes, disgust obvious in her tone, still a little winded from the run. She glanced again at the way her words triggered Lena to hold tighter to Kara. The Luthor had her hands on her little sister and given their Kingdoms' history, it bugged her a little bit.

 

Her little sister having yet to answer her, Alex turned her attention away for a second to look around the room, like Kara had before her. "See? Nothing's wrong." She snapped with an annoyed shake of her head, spinning back around to the two girls. "What was the point of running halfway across the castle for nothing?

 

" _Alex,_ " Kara warned narrowing her eyes. She was fully aware of how angry she seemed to Lena and didn't want her to worry more than she already had.

 

" _Luthor,_ " Alex pointed her finger accusingly at the said woman, noticing how the brunette jumped for the second time in her presence. "If I find out you just called for my sister in some means to get attention then I will—" 

 

Just as Kara stepped forward a little in order to prevent her sister from saying anything else Alex got a slight view of the smaller princess, more specifically: her neck. It was only a second, but Alex knew she wasn't seeing things. From what she could make out, it looked like small darker marks that clashed with her pale skin. The oldest woman stepped forward, bending to the side to see the Luthor better. When she did, Lena's terrified eye widened as she ducked back behind Kara. "What did you do?"

 

"She didn't do anything." Kara defended lightly, sighing as she turned around to the small woman, seeing no point in lying, no way out. "It's okay, she won't do anything." The blonde whispered to Lena, squeezing her hands reassuringly.

 

Alex heard what her sister said, and was even more confused. Of course, she'd do something if the Luthor pulled Kara out of her busy errands just to touch or manipulate her.

 

Out of the auburn-haired woman's sight, Lena swallowed nervously. "Are you sure?" She asked. It wasn't Kara she doubted; she remembered the glares that her betrothed's sister had given her, making it known immediately how she felt about her being in Nationell Citi... Being with her sister.

 

"Yes." The Kryptonian nodded with a bright smile that cheered her up a little. She didn't trust Alex, but she trusted Kara. If she trusted her sister, then she could only hope everything would be alright. Gathering up the courage, Kara kissed Lena quickly on the forehead, not caring whether the older princess behind them saw.

 

"Will you please get to the..." Alex started as Lena sheepishly looked out at her, no longer hiding completely from her sight. It was then that Alex really saw what she had first suspected: A small, noticeable cut on her cheekbone, dark circles under her eyes. The Luthor's neck was covered in blueish red bruises, traveling down her profile further to Lena and her little sister's joined hands, the auburn-haired woman saw the same bruises on the pale, skinny wrist. "What in the hell?" She blanched. "Kara, who did—"

 

"Lex." Before her sister could say anything the Luthor Princess spoke up in a steady voice, unlike her currently frail appearance.

 

"Your brother?" For the first time, Alex actually asked her without glaring at her.

 

Both younger women nodded at the same time, not really answering any more of Alex's reoccurring questions. "I don't understand..."

 

"I do," Kara faced her big sister, voice determined as she pulled Lena closer to her body, Alex pretending not to see the quick loving glance thrown at the injured princess. "Lex knew when he did this that people would question it at the wedding."

 

"Wait, so your brother roughed you up and all that," She awkwardly gestured up and down Lena's frame. "Just to humiliate you?" The sudden realization in her words as the raven-haired heiress nodded, her sad eyes stabbing into her like a blunt knife to the heart.

 

For a minute, Alex forgot who she was speaking with, eyes only seeing a small, frightened girl next to another heartbroken, affectionate woman. Some part of her wanted to feel bad for the Luthor in front of her, but nothing yet had proved that none of it was fake, so she kept a careful gaze on the brunette. Slowly, but surely, Alex's questions began to unfold as both Lena and Kara explained their very tempting theory. As this was happening the older Danvers couldn't help but observe how they acted together; seemingly comfortable around each other as Lena was easily pulled into a side embrace by Kara as they talked, the blonde's hand resting comfortingly on her hip. They looked...happy like that, despite the depressing subject that brought all three women together. They reminded Alex of her and Maggie in a way... a small way, but it was there.

 

After both princesses finished talking, Alex spoke up less broody than before. "Oh. Well, can't you just make a dress with a higher neck? To cover up the...bruises?" She offered a solution and shrugged, not wanting to be too forward.

 

Kara's eyes lit up with the image. She turned to Lena and smiled kindly. "That could work. Thank you, Alex." She said, her face wearing an expression of extreme gratefulness when Lena relaxed a bit more at the suggestion. She could tell her little sister wasn't just grateful for the idea but for also calming down, treating Lena like an equal, even if they still didn't trust one another quite yet.

 

Alex was still confused about everything, but it would make sense with Lex's record that he would mark her sister in such a violent way, smacking her hard enough to break her skin. She couldn't imagine her own family doing such wicked action to her. When Alex excused herself after promising not to tell anyone, she was able to think to herself about the Luthor princess; maybe she wasn't like her brother. What if pushing her sister-in-law away was the wrong move. But then again, she didn't trust Luthors, no matter who they were. Hopefully, that would change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Saturday, May 4th, 2019


	10. Chapter 10

The rise of the day was spent more peacefully than when Len had woken up. Of course, the sweet letter from Kara was wonderful, and after Alex had left and the blonde convinced and reassured her time and time again that the Royal Tailor in the palace, Zari, could be trusted to see her bruises and not tell a soul. After a few kisses and gentle touches back and forth Kara was saddened to tell her betrothed that she had to leave and finish her tasks for the rest of the day, but not leaving until she made sure that Lena was alright and had nothing to apologize for, sealing her words with one last lingering kiss to her rosy lips, then forehead. The young Luthor noticed as soon as she shut her chamber door with Kara walking away behind it that she felt much safer in her betrothed's presence, especially when her sister came charging in.

 

For whatever reason, Lena didn't trust Alex. Perhaps it was the way that she glared daggers into her head, or the disgusted undertone when the older Danvers spoke her last name. She couldn't blame her; if Lena had a sibling who she was close actually close with, then she might find it hard not to be over-protective when it came to the enemy regarding an arranged marriage. Nevertheless, didn't miss Lena's attention that Alex had once looked at her with something close to kindness or maybe even sympathy as the raven-haired woman described how she got the discoloring around her throat. The expression was gone as quick as it had come, but Lena still saw it in those dangerous brown eyes. But that didn't matter to her.

 

What mattered the most was that she and Kara's wedding would be quick and painless. Obviously, Lena wanted to marry the youngest Danvers no matter what anyone thought of their relationship. She just worried about Kara and what things people might say about her. In their little amount of time together it was clear that everyone respected the Danvers Family, especially Kara. Now here she was, marrying a Luthor, someone that nobody had anything good to even mutter about. If people disliked her than what would they think of the heir to the capital's throne wedding the enemy?

 

Another thought that couldn't stop itself from resurfacing in her mind after Zari had taken her measurements was about that engagement ring around her finger. When Kara had told her that it belonged to her mother, Lena had tears in her eyes. She had shared with her that her family had died when her village was burned down, forcing her to seek refuge with the Danvers. If Kara's mother and father were simple villagers, then how did her mother have a silver ring embedded with diamonds? At first, she thought that since it was handed down from person to person in her family than someone in the past might have bought or made the ring, but it didn't make sense. How could a grandfather or grandmother many years ago of a simple villager afford such a beautiful, expensive ring?

 

Clearly, Lena didn't think of Kara as just another commonfolk. It didn't matter to her that she was adopted into one of the richest kingdoms in the world after her family perished, just like Kara didn't care that she was the bastard child of a despicable man responsible for the death of an entire kingdom. It might have been over a decade ago, but Lena's heart still ached with sorrow at the thought of an entire kingdom, race, losing their lives because of her father's own selfishness and idiocy; strong men, peaceful women, and innocent children all blown to ashes. A tragedy that shook every kingdom to hear about, working hard and meeting for months to decide upon who would be the new capital of the Seven Kingdoms.

 

The reason it stayed 'The Seven Kingdoms' was to honor the Kryptonians. For years they had been very private, but honorable rulers up until their destruction. Though the Kingdom seemed separated from the rest, they made sure that peace and harmony were felt throughout the lands, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and sometimes taking in the sick. Ever since Lena could remember her mother, father and brother tried to fill her head with stories of Krypton's selfishness about the valuable riches found underneath the earth, but Lena learned to shut her mouth very quick when one day she asked why they couldn't keep their land to themselves. That question earned her a slap by her mother and no food for two days.

 

Still, Lena was hesitant to ask about the ring. She didn't want to seem ungrateful or shrewd regarding the wonderful and sentimental piece of jewelry, but at the same time, her curiosity almost had the better of her. She trusted Kara wouldn't lie to her, perhaps only leaving out that little detail during her story by accident.

 

It was too late at night to be thinking about Kara right now, because Lena knew that the charming woman snaking her way into her thoughts would stay there, forcing the Luthor to ponder over her smile, her sun-bathed golden hair, the small scar above the woman's eyebrow, the feeling of Kara lying on top of her, trapping her body and kissing her senseless, wishing that it might've lasted a bit longer. It was too late now; her betrothed had snuck into her mind and the images and feeling inside caused an easy, relaxed smile to stretch across her pale features as she laid covered up in bed, desperately trying to drift off to sleep only to bolt upright at the light knocking at her door.

 

Lena's heart began to thump at the startling noise breaking through the silence. She threw the covers off her legs and brought herself to stand, yawning quietly before nervously stepping to the door. The youngest Luthor pulled it open, expecting to see Sam or another member of Nationell Citi's Palace Staff. The figure that greeted her heavy, tired eyes surprised her in a particularly good way.

 

"I apologize if I woke you," Kara grinned and whispered reverently, aware of her sister sleeping just down the hall, as well as others. "But I wanted to see you before tomorrow."

 

Lena smiled and opened the door further, stepping aside to let the blonde inside. "It's alright. I couldn't sleep." She confessed.

 

"Is something on your mind?" Lena' smile grew impossibly wider at the genuine concern in the other princess' voice.

 

"Someone."

 

Kara blushed and smirked knowingly, speaking out in a joke of her own. "Should I be jealous?"

 

It wasn't until now that Lena realized how attractive Kara looked with her eyebrow raised, the sarcastic question laced with light-hearted humor. "Never." She shook her head, replying earnestly. The raven-haired girl using the brief moment of silence to her advantage. She slowly walked forward until she stopped just at Kara's feet and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck in a familiar embrace.

 

Kara sighed into her touch, bringing her hands to Lena's sides, folding her fingers together behind the smaller woman to bring her closer. "I'm sorry about Alex's behavior today," She started, pecking the younger on the lips.

 

"It's okay," Lena shyly pointed her eyes down to the floor. "I'm used to it."

 

"But you shouldn't be," Kara stated, bending at the knees a little bit to chase the other woman's gaze. "Alex is stubborn. She just has her heart set that you're using me for the throne or something." She rolled her eyes, but the hurt look on Lena's face forced her to sober up. Kara knew those words hit the Luthor deep down.

 

"Do you believe her?" She asked, wrapping her arms a little tighter around Kara in fear of what she'd say.

 

"Of course I don't!" Kara exclaimed immediately, lowering her voice once she remembered the time of night. "Lena, why would you ever think that?"

 

Lena met the blonde's wide, piercing blue eyes, shrugging hopelessly. "Our wedding is tomorrow. If there's anything you wish to say or do before that, I—I won't stop you."

 

Kara furrowed her brows in confusion, trying to make sense of what her betrothed was saying. "Like what?" She leaned in closer to those tempting emerald green orbs.

 

"Just tell me if don't want this. Tell me you don't want to marry Luthor, a bastard. Just get it out while you can." Lena explained. She teared up at the mere thought of Kara saying those words to her face, but if it was true that she didn't want to marry her—even if they couldn't stop it—then Lena just wanted her to say it. Kara's smile left her face.

 

Instead of Kara yelling in her face about her last name, what she was or how much of a disgrace she was for being born into a family that had drilled those things into her head, the older princess let go of Lena's hips and grabbed her forearms. Panic rose in her chest when the blonde pulled her arms down from around her shoulders. "Kara, wait—"

 

The young Danvers held a finger up to quiet her, then grabbed Lena's hands and squeezed firmly. "Who are you?" She whispered as she took the hand that wore her mother's ring and pulled the band from off Lena's finger, the princess immediately missing the feeling of the silver wrapped comfortably around her finger.

 

"Wh—What're you—"

 

"Who are you?" Kara repeated softly, holding the ring out in her open palm, waiting for her to answer.

 

Not knowing what to say or what was happening, Lena said the first thing that came to her mind. "Lena Luthor." She stated her name with a shaky voice, looking into Kara's gentle eyes.

 

"What do you feel like?" The Kryptonian asked, the same patient tone and expression.

 

She still didn't understand but answered truthfully nonetheless. "A bastard. An inconvenience."

 

Though her face softened, Kara still stood tall and determined as she slid the ring back on her finger, covering Lena's hand with both of her's. "Now what do you feel like?" She smiled reassuringly when she saw Lena's hesitance to vocalize what was on her mind.

 

Taking in another shaky breath, the raven-haired woman gained her speech again. "I feel appreciated, wanted. I feel like a person again." Her voice cracked towards the end, the sting of everything Lillian, Lex, and everyone else had spat at her washed away at the sight of Kara's bright, loving smile.

 

"Don't you see?" The blonde pulled Lena flush against her by their joined hands, cupping her pale cheeks and searching those pretty green eyes lidded with unshed tears. "You don't need a ring to feel that way. I want to marry you because you're beautiful..." Kara leaned in and kissed Lena on the lips, pulling away by only an inch to keep speaking. "Smart..." Kiss. "Graceful..." Kiss. "Amazing..." Kiss. "Lena." Another kiss to the Luthor's mouth set her nerves aflame, each touch getting longer and longer until they both submitted to the passionate fire burning inside of their lungs. She internally smiled at Kara's wonderful words. She always said exactly what she needed to hear, and Lena had a feeling she would always be astonished by the woman before her.

 

The princesses wished that they could stay that way until the sun rose; locking lips happily, leaning into one another's warm touches. But Lena and Kara knew that they would have to be awake quite early in the morning to get prepared for their wedding. Suddenly, it all seemed to click inside of her mind: She would be married by this time tomorrow, and somehow she wasn't afraid of that. As long she had Kara by her side, Lena felt as though she could do anything, even marrying a woman in front of her brother and mother. Quickly gaining a sense of reality again, the two heiresses reluctantly pulled away, the ghosts of their unsaid words rising up to the surface.

 

"I should let you get your rest," Kara whispered, breaking away with a peck to the corner of the Luthor's mouth.

 

"I don't want you to leave," Lena confessed, trusting her with the vulnerable manner she uttered those words. She never thought she'd ever say it, but Lena liked feeling vulnerable around someone instead of throwing on a mask of no emotion.

 

Smirking, the blonde inhaled peacefully as Lena leaned into her sleepily, unwilling to let go. "Me neither, but we must."

 

"I wish we didn't have to do anything and just do what we want."

 

"Well, I do get to do this..." The Kryptonian pressed a light kiss to Lena's forehead, another ghosting on her lips.

 

The raven-haired princess smiled into the embrace. Neither one wanted to go, but it would've been improper to stay the night together before their wedding, even if was just to sleep. They'd cross that bridge when they got there. "The next time I see you we'll be married." Lena realized, surprised for the slightest second.

 

Kara nodded in shared surprise, but the desire and the happiness still remained in her light smile and dazzling blue eyes. "Any last words?" She questioned with a teasing raise of her eyebrow.

 

They walked each other to the door, Kara stepping out into the halls but turning around to hear Lena's answer. "Thank you."

 

Neither woman had to say anything else. Kara understood perfectly what those words meant to her. It was a thank you for helping Lena feel welcomed, valued, heard, and so much more. The quickly built connection between them was unlike anything both princesses had ever experienced in their lives. Though they were still very young, Kara and Lena knew that what they had wasn't just an arrangement or a trick. It was like their first kiss: magical and perfect. For once, everything felt perfect.

 

{***}

 

It was her wedding day. The day that just a week ago Kara had been dreading, but now was nearly jumping up and down inside her chambers from excitement. Of course, she was nervous as well. She'd seen the many guests that had gathered for this celebration of joining kingdoms and didn't want to mess anything up for herself or Lena, worried about how the other princess would be feeling about being the center of attention in a room full on unfamiliar faces. Because of business deals and other buying and selling opportunities, Lena told her that she had met a few nobles around the Seven Kingdoms, but not recent enough to remember very well.

 

Dressing carefully and studying herself over and over in the mirror, making sure she looked alright in her beautiful white suit, a bright red rose boutonniere pinned to the left lapel. She decided on letting her hair down for this occasion, Alex telling her it looked nicer that way. She straightened the tie around her neck nervously before tearing her gaze away from the mirror and walking to the door. Behind it stood her sister, wearing her tailormade black tuxedo on confident shoulders, her hair brushed and parted to the side as usual, although she still looked just as fierce and elegant.

 

"You look great, Your Highness," Alex bowed her head, exaggerating the title jokingly.

 

Kara rolled her eyes but smiled in thanks. "So do you." The two sisters began to walk down the halls and steps to Nationell Citi's chapel were the Kryptonian and the Luthor would be married as soon as the guests had been seated.

 

"Don't get too comfortable in that suit though." Alex nudged her shoulder. At her little sister's confused look she further elaborated. "Mother wants you to wear your military uniform for the feast."

 

"Not that one." Kara groaned, throwing her head back in irritation. "I hate feeling like I'm showing off my medals and badges."

 

"Relax. You should be proud of those medals. Besides, some of the maids swoon over you when they see you in it." The last bit was meant to be another joke, but both Danvers knew the humorous truth behind it.

 

Reaching one of the balcony doors of the chapel were two armored men who stood guard at the sides, nodding respectfully before letting them inside. Alex watched down below them over the railing as familiar and unfamiliar noble entered the main doors and sat down, some on the left and some on the right. Kara quickly picked out Lillian Luthor sitting on the left side at the very front, glancing around with a scowl on her face at the various colorful flowers and decorations. She noted how Lex wasn't by her side, instead, an empty space was between her and the edge of the long wooden pew.

 

Kara bit her lip hard at the thought of Lex strangling Lena in front of Lillian and the woman doing nothing to stop it. It was horrible to think about, and if this wedding wasn't for peace between their own separate kingdoms Kara would've jumped down from that balcony and spat in the wicked woman's face, cursing her because her role in Lena feeling so awful towards herself and the bruises on her beautiful skin. It took _everything._

 

{***}

 

After insisting the servants that she could put her wedding dress on by herself, Lena stood on shaky knees outside of the chapel, listening to the many whispers of people around her. She wanted badly to see Kara before walking down the aisle, but it was supposedly bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony started. Knowing herself pretty well, Lena wanted as much good luck for this day as possible. In a matter of minutes, she'd be sealing her arranged marriage to Kara with a kiss. The engagement ring had been taken by Sam, telling her that she'd have it after Kara put it back on her finger in front of hundreds of people.

 

Imagining so many people gathering from all around the Seven Kingdom just attend a wedding seemed rather nervewracking to Lena.

 

"Are you ready?" A low, unsettling voice from behind her asked. Lena spun around and terror jumped down her throat as she saw the sickening and pale face of her brother raising an eyebrow menacingly, pleased with himself to see her jump.

 

"Lex," She whispered, shocked.

 

"Let's not forget who you are," He held up his finger as he stepped closer to her, the younger Luthor stopping herself from lurching backward. "That's 'King Lex' to you. Or must I remind you again who you're speaking to?"

 

Suddenly, the anxiety rose in her stomach as she remembered what Lex was talking about: His cold hand clamped around her throat as her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, her cheek flaring up in pain as her blood dripped down her face. Lex's eyes glaring daggers into her soul and Lillian behind him, watching with a smirk, almost as if entertained. The feeling of her panic attack crept across her chest. Kara wasn't here to save her this time, no one was, so she just submitted. "No, Your Majesty."

 

"That's a pretty dress. I've never seen a wedding dress that covered the neck." He smirked knowingly, the jab piercing her sharply in the gut. He was taunting her, seeing if—or when—She'd break. It wasn't the first time. To anyone else who might've heard his words, they would've thought that Lex was simply complimenting his sister on her elegant clothing, but the subtle way he slightly emphasized some of his words suggested that he wasn't complimenting her, he was embarrassing her even with no one around to listen to their conversation.

 

Sensing the meaning behind it, Lena's neck started to itch uncomfortably underneath the white fabric. "Princess Kara and her sister suggested it. They considered that it would—"

 

"Of course she did," Lex rolled his eyes in irritation. "Those Danvers girls just don't know when to back off, do they?" He huffed, devoid of any humor as his plan for everyone to see his handy work backfired. Lena was about to just stand there and listen to his insults about herself or about Kara, but a sudden idea that sprung into Lex's brain and showed heavily on his face halted her wishes for her evil sibling to curse her. "Perhaps I should give you something else for the slut to see."

 

Lena's eyes widened in fear. _No,_ she begged internally. _Please don't. Not again._ He stepped close with narrowed eyes, reminding the Luthor sister of a starving predator. This was it. Nobody would see him mark her up again and he'd get away with it, get away with using her as his own personal dummy. Lena inhaled and froze, unable to move from the fearful heartbeats slamming at her chest, threatening to burst. She saw his arm raise just the littlest bit and flinched, awaiting a smack or blow to her face, body, anywhere. Thankfully, the sound of a violin, or possibly cello music flooded into her pounding ears, clearly coming from the chapel.

 

She glanced back to the eyes of her brother, taking in his stance; an arm thrust out for her to take, his faked smile painted on his lips as if nothing happened. "That's our signal, sister." He stated. "Who else will walk you down the aisle to that poor excuse of a groom?"The question wasn't meant to be answered. She wished it was anyone but him.

 

Legs about ready to buckle underneath her from the emotional pressure weighing down on her like an anvil, Lena hesitantly slid her arm through his. She felt very uncomfortable, unsafe so close to him, beginning to bite the inside of her cheek in hopes that it could help take away just a little bit of her worry. The hard muscle in his arm felt dangerous and scary, the raven-haired princess aware that he could easily put her in her place and could've done a lot worse than just bruises and a small cut. The two Luthors started toward the chapel doors, putting on calm and collected faces. In reality, Lena desperately wanted to sink into the floor like a puddle of nothing, never to be seen again.

 

{***}

 

Kara was nervous...very nervous. She stood at the front of the chapel, the stained glass windows cast different colored beams of light down into the quiet space the only sound being the soft, slow music behind her. Kara looked out in the crowd and took comfort that she saw some familiar grinning faces, catching their eyes every now and then, smiling wider when they nodded or made an expression of reassurance. Seeing Alex and Eliza to her left in the front pew aided in settling her nerves just a little.

 

The music had played for a few seconds, allowing the guests to draw their attention up and forward, then the priest motioned for everyone to stand. Once all the individuals collectively rose up from their seats, the large chapel doors opened and everyone turned their attention to the motion. the sight Kara was met with was Lena, arm linked with her brother's, both Luthors staring straight ahead and walking steadily down the flower-covered aisle that led to the marble steps. The brunette stood tall but was still much smaller than Lex, whose frame was more hard edges, while Lena's was softer and more attractive.

 

Kara's breath was stolen from her lungs as she looked Lena up and down. The white fabric that matched her suit hugged the Luthor perfectly, her thin profile fitting the gorgeous dress perfectly. She didn't wear a veil, making it easy to see her elegant, beautiful face, her raven hair put back into a more intricate braid, a style Kara had not yet seen on the princess. Her neck was also covered by a high collar of the dress. She noted right away that Lena's entire person seemed to glow in the sunlight, similar to an angel. Her bride stood out among the crowd of nobles that watched her closely as she walked up to the center of the room, up to the alabaster stairs to meet the Kryptonian.

 

It was only when the two Luthor sibling got to the top of the steps that Kara snapped out of her trance, meeting Lex straight in the eyes. Joining them at the bottom of the steps, the king kissed Lena on the cheek before letting her go, sending a terrible shiver down both princesses spines. Sensing the unsettling air around them Kara wasted no time in taking Lena's hand in her's, gritting her teeth as she faked a polite smile and bow toward Lex. He returned the gesture, not bothering to hide his displeasure with a narrowed and forced grin before sitting down next to his mother.

 

Pushing aside the image of Lex and Lillian doing whatever they had done to their youngest family member, briefly wondering how the wicked king could even face his sister after what happened, Kara slowly led Lena up the stairs to stand on either side of the priest. "You look beautiful." She whispered and smiled reassuringly before dropping her hand to stand straight.

 

"Thank you. So do you." Lena's voice was hushed and small, but sincere.

 

Once they said their greetings the priest signaled for everyone to sit down again, waiting for a nod of approval from the Crowned Princess to begin. "Royals, family, and friends, in the presence of the gods we gather together as witnesses of this joyous occasion: the marriage between Princess Kara Danvers of Nationell Citi and Princess Lena Luthor of Thorul." He gestured to the two women, who merely smiled at each other as their titles were said. "If no one objects to this holy union, then we shall proceed with the vows." The gray-haired man opened up a thick book in his wrinkled hands, clearing his throat to continue on with the ceremony when nobody spoke up to protest. _No one speaks against a Luthor._

 

After exchanging the written vows between one another, both women grateful that they didn't mess up from nervous energy built up inside of them, repeating after the priest with strong voices echoing around the large chapel for everyone to hear, the old man motioned for the rings. Alex stood from her seat next to Eliza and handed the rings to the priest, quickly patting Kara on the back in a sisterly way and nodding respectfully to Lena before returning to the pew. The gray-haired priest selected the first ring; the silver and diamond wedding band that belonged to Kara's mother and gave it to the Kryptonian.

 

Instructing her on what to say, the priest watched as Kara grabbed the Luthor's hand and slid the ring on her finger for the second time in a matter of hours, a beaming smile across her face as she met Lena's captivating green eyes and said her part. "I, Kara Danvers, place this ring on your finger as a symbol of my honor to you. I will cry with you in times of sadness, I will laugh with you in times of happiness. I promise to always bare your burdens and love you for as long as I shall live."

 

Lena's heart thudded almost painfully in her chest. Love. That word sounded lovely leaving the blonde's mouth. She could only hope that her wish for Kara to really love her one day would come true. The Luthor felt Kara squeeze her hand after the ring sat comfortably on her finger again. She missed it.

 

The priest then handed her the other ring; a polished silver band similar to Lena's, only the pattern was different. There were no diamonds, only intricate looking swirls, and grooves that stood out in the light. Despite the lack of jewels the ring still looked beautifully made. She traded her hand for Kara's, sliding the band on the blonde's finger, smiling as it all felt so new, yet so familiar. She looked up to Kara, her bright smile making it easier to say her promises. "I, Lena Luthor, place this ring on your finger as a symbol of my devotion to you. I will support you throughout your hardships, I will stand by your side in times of triumph. I promise to always be faithful to you and love you for as long as I shall live."

 

The priest nodded in acceptance as they said their vows, allowing a moment of silence, reading over a few sentences and straightening up speaking again, loud enough for everyone to her. "Now that the rings have been exchanged, we shall proceed with the final words." He smiled and turned to Kara, glancing down at the book and back up again. "Do you, Kara of the house Danvers, take Lena of the house Luthor, to be your wife, in sickness and in health, in weakness and in strength, in trials and tribulation, until death you shall part?"

 

Just a moment of silence hung in the air as Kara breathed in, a determined tone sounding from her mouth. "I do."

 

Lena faltered slightly internally. Not because what the young had said was wrong, it was the way she looked so sure and proud. She looked at Lena like she was the most gorgeous jewel in the world, and that naturally warmed her heart. 

 

"Do you," The older priest turned to her, his smile lessening just the smallest bit that it almost wasn't noticed. Almost. "Lena of the house Luthor, take Kara of the Danvers, to be your wife, in sickness and in health, in weakness and in strength, in trials and tribulation, until death you shall part?"

 

"I do." Lena had never been so certain in her entire life, her smile lighting up her green eyes, gazing straight into blue.

 

Kara pushed away from the sight of all of the people looking up at them in the corner of her eye, narrowing into Lena's angelic face, her bride. The cut on her cheek was scarcely there, just barely noticeable, yet the Kryptonian couldn't help but see how Lena seemed to wear it proudly, chin held high as she too ignored the stares from the audience and only focused on the woman opposite to her. "Then by the power bestowed upon me by the old gods, I pronounce you wives. You may seal this sacred ordinance with a kiss."

 

They had never kissed outside of the safe walls of Lena's chambers. Both women immediately locked eyes as their nervous excitement almost overwhelmed them. Before the lack of movement became heavy or awkward, Kara shuffled a tiny bit closer to the nervous Luthor and put a hand on her cheek that didn't face the crowd, sharing a look with the shorter girl before closing her eyes and leaning in. This was it.

 

When their lips connected softly, the guests applauded for them, leaving Lillian and Lex to sit bitterly still in their seats. Wedding bells could be heard, the townspeople clapping and cheering as the Luthor and the Danvers were finally married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around this long and reading! I love your comments, so please keep them coming. I'd love to answer any questions and concerns you may have regarding this chapter, or others.
> 
> Next Chapter: Friday, May 10th, 2019.
> 
> -L


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not usually one for spoilers, but.......Kara and Lex get into a tiff!!!!

A few minutes had passed since the wedding ceremony and Kara found herself just outside the dining hall, dressed in her Nationell Citi Military coat, colorful medals and awards pinned and sewn onto the dark blue overcoat in the front over her heart and up to her shoulder. She had trained and fought hard throughout her life to earn them, but every medal told a story about people she had to kill to defend the threats against her Kingdom, also fighting alongside other kingdoms or her 'heroic acts' on the battlefield. It wasn't something she particularly liked to remember, but being the princess of two different kingdoms meant that she was an important person in the world, yet her fellow soldiers never treated her any different from the next man or woman that endured the miserable days of battle and burning hot to ice-cold temperatures. 

 

The first battle Kara had won was when she was only 16. Standing proud with the soldiers in the day and huddling around fires for warmth at night, singing, laughing, and living one day at a time. Those moments gave the blonde a great look at what it felt like to just be 'Kara' instead of another royal. It grounded her whenever she thought of her mother and father. Her parents loved her very much, and if nobody could call her 'Zor-El,' then at least she could have her first name. It was one of the only things she had that her parents had given to her before their deaths. Ever since the day she came home safe alive Kara had asked the staff to address her by her name instead of other fancy titles. Thankfully it stuck.

 

The sound of shoes clicking on the stone floor pulled her attention away from her past memories and back into the present. She spun on her heel to greet the figure in front of her, pleased to see her raven-haired bride smiling widely as her footfalls got quicker and quicker until the two newlyweds met in the middle, just in front of the closed doors of the dining space. 

 

She instantly pulled Lena into a firm and affectionate hug. Despite just being married to her, Kara hadn't had the chance to even speak with the Luthor before they were guided out of the chapel and separated to get ready for the celebrational feast. Lena didn't have to change out of her wedding dress, the only change in her appearance being the train of the dress was taken off, allowing her to move about more freely. Extremely glad to see each other again, Kara pulled away to press her lips to Lena's temple.

 

Resting their foreheads against each others', the younger princess broke the comfortable silence. "It's been a while," she remarked.

 

"A painfully long while." Kara agreed, backing away slightly to nod her head. "If I had known that they would separate us for so long I would've worn my sword during the ceremony." She joked, resting a hand on the hilt of her weapon as she playfully wiggled her eyebrows.

 

Lena chuckled, pulling Kara closer by the sides of her military suit. She wanted to kiss the blonde really bad, having missed her presence for the past few hours. She leaned in on the tips of her toes and closed her eyes, preparing to feel the lightning run up and down her spine at the touch of Kara's soft, warm, heavenly lips on her's, but the feeling never came. Rather, another person behind them cleared their throat quietly, wanting to make themselves known before things became too personal. Still a little disoriented, both princesses jumped and broke apart, blushing furiously at the thought of almost being caught in a passionate lip-lock.

 

"My apologies, Your Grace's," A short, brunette guard with dark skin bowed, a devilish smirk suggesting that she wasn't really sorry. "But it is time for you join rest of the guests for the feast."

 

Kara rolled her eyes and sighed, throwing her head back in annoyance. "Can't they wait for a few more seconds?"

 

"I'm afraid not, Your Grace." Lena watched the guard walked closer as she spoke, a little curious as to why they seemed so comfortable around each other. She wasn't jealous, just curious.

 

"Maggie, I told you to call me Kara." The Kryptonian admonished lightly, absently moving her thumb over one of the seams of Lena's dress. Glancing to her bride, she saw the slightly confused look on The Luthor's face. Kara quickly gathered herself together and pointed to the woman across from them. "Lena, this is Maggie, my sister's girlfriend."

 

The guard's brown eyes visibly widened a touch, not used to people knowing about her relationship with the other Danvers Princess. She swallowed as she nodded her head in greeting. "Your Highness."

 

"You can just call me Lena." The raven-haired finally spoke up shyly, testing the command. She liked that Kara was so familiar with so many people and wanted that too.

 

Proud of the younger woman for asking for something not usually considered proper, Kara smiled down at her and put her hand to the small of her back comfortingly. It warmed her heart to know that in some way she had rubbed off on Lena. She'd never seen the Luthor ask anything of someone else, even something so simple as calling her by her first name, but thankfully Kara had been able to help her understand that she wasn't bound to what her mother told her, what her brother did. She saw Lena for what she was: Strong and beautiful. Now, she just needed Lena to see that.

 

"I'll tell them to announce you," Maggie stated, bowing one more time before turning to leave for the nearest door that would take her when she had to go.

 

Checking that they were alone again, Kara sighed in relief, smile unwavering. "'Miss Lena' sounds nice." She remarked, turning her body to face the large doors, at the same time holding her elbow out for the younger Luthor to slide her arm through.

 

Lena simply smiled at the blonde's words. She steeled her features and straightened her back in unison with Kara as they heard a voice from the other side of the giant wood. "It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Princess Kara Danvers and her wife, Lena Luthor."

 

The doors opened to reveal many different sets of eyes, all standing tall and clapping their hands together as she and Kara advanced down the steps to the main floor, heart pounding as she was led to her seat at the enormous table that went from one end of the spacious room to another on both sides, meeting in the middle with another long surface towards the end, but not at the very front, making a large rectangular shape with space in the center where some finely-dressed individuals were starting to dance before the newlyweds were announced.

 

While it was time for celebration for the kingdom, Lena couldn't help but be a little sad about the words repeating themselves in her mind... _Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor._ She wasn't 'Lena Danvers' because of her marriage to that house's heir. Her poisonous name stayed with her, looming over her conscious like a cloud of darkness. Of course, she knew that traditionally the woman would take the man's last name after marriage, but since she and Kara were both girls their surnames remained the same. Still, Lena would have gladly accepted Kara's last name, and not just because her's would no longer be 'Luthor.'

 

A loud whistle amongst the cheers sang in Kara's ear, grinning widely when she saw who made the noise. She tapped lightly on their linked arms to get Lena's attention. "There are some people I'd like you to meet," She smiled but faltered slightly when she felt the brunette tense beside her. "If you would like to. I wouldn't make you—I understand if you're uncomfortable—"

 

"Kara," Lena's quiet and gentle voice put a stop to her rambling. "I would love to meet your friends and family. I'm not bothered by that, I just feel a little out of place in here." She explained, quickly glancing around and feeling some relief that not every pair of eyes were on them anymore.

 

"Why? Because you're the prettiest?" Kara's tone was teasing but meant every word. It was obvious to her that her bride naturally stuck out in a crowd in the best way.

 

"No," The Luthor smiled and blushed as she pointed her gaze down to hide her face. "Because the prettiest person here is right next to me and is getting quite a few suggestive looks from both men and women alike."

 

Kara also flushed red and took a second to regain herself. "You'll be fine. Besides, it's our wedding day. If anyone tries anything my overprotective sister will throw them out a window." She chuckled with Lena, absolutely adoring her quiet laughter. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

 

"Okay." Lena breathed in and nodded, readying herself for whoever of Kara's friends or family she'd meet. If they were anything like Alex and her murderous stare, she'd surely want the earth to swallow her up for good.

 

With one more encouraging squeeze to her arm, Kara walked over to the beginning of the giant table where there were a few surprisingly smiling faces. "Clark!" Kara called out, grabbing the attention of a tall, muscled, dark-haired man with a strong jaw and blue eyes that looked like Kara's but not as nearly as bright and alluring.

 

The man's lips instantly curled into a smile as they approached. "Kara, it's lovely to see you again!"

 

The older princess slipped her arm out of Lena's to hug Clark, patting each other firmly on the back, then moved over to the long-haired woman, hugging her as well. "It's been too long... truly." The woman said loud enough over the chatter for the Luthor to hear, watching fondly as the two seemingly good friends embraced.

 

Once the two women parted Kara remembered her previous intentions and cleared her throat, gesturing towards the brunette. "I wanted you guys to meet Lena." She looked her in the eyes and stepped back into the Luthor's space. "Lena, this is my friend Clark Kent and his wife, Lois."

 

Lena smiled politely, albeit a little nervously. "Clark Kent? Aren't you the Duke of Metropolis?" She recognized the name from listening to Lex's meetings in court during the few times she had been dragged along.

 

"That I am," Clark confirmed, reaching out to shake Lena's hand just the _tiniest_ bit too tight. The way that his smile tightened slightly had her thinking it wasn't on accident. "It's been busy over the past few months, but it's good for Lois and me to get away for a little while." He spoke directly to Kara, ignoring her almost entirely.

 

"How do you know Kara?" Lena asked, genuinely curious to know more about her new wife's life. She couldn't be mad that Clark appeared to be bothered by her presence, but hiding it well enough that nobody else seemed to notice.

 

"She and I met during Kara's first medal ceremony a few years ago." He answered, pointing to the decorations on Kara's chest. Clark beamed proudly as his comrade and her achievements. "I see you've gained a lot more since then."

 

Kara blushed and playfully rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around Lena's slim waist and pulled her closer. The younger princess' breath hitched at their close proximity in public, but neither of them minded. "Not just medals." She smiled as she glanced briefly to Lena, then looking back up to Clark before she could get lost in the lovely sea of green.

 

"Congratulations to both of you," Lois pointed out next to her husband. "You look happy. You remind me Clark and me on our wedding day." She told them as she wrapped an arm through his, the tall man's stance becoming just a little tenser as he smiled their way.

 

"Thank you." Kara bowed gratefully and offered them one more handshake before moving on to the next spot of people.

 

Lena sighed sadly as they walked, biting her lip. "Clark didn't like me."

 

"No, it's not you," Kara insisted, holding her hand up to stop her bride from protesting. "From what I've been told, he and Lex have been at odds with one another for some time. I don't know the whole story, but Clark just has a chip on his shoulder because of your brother, not you. I'm sorry he took it out on you. You haven't done anything to anyone in this room." She explained strongly as they made their way to more people at the tables, smiling and shaking hands, accepting their congratulations and words of praise for the new couple. It was going okay for Lena; she wasn't too on-the-edge around so many unfamiliar people. Everything felt fine until they came over to the head of the long table where Kara's sister and her mother stood, waiting their turn.

 

Lena looked their way quickly in the middle of listening to a short conversation between the Kryptonian and another lord, getting a decent look of Kara's adoptive mother: She truly did look like a queen in her bright blue dress and shining crown, back straight and welcoming eyes that also held so much wisdom from ruling the capital of many different kingdoms. Her daughter beside her looked surprisingly the same, Alex's hard stare wiped away and replaced with an unreadable expression. Lena briefly wondered which look was better on the older Danvers Sister: The angry and cold stare or the blank expression.

 

The Luthor heard as Kara said her goodbyes to the random nobleman and bit him adieu politely as well. The charming blonde bent down slightly to whisper in her ear. "Are you still alright?"

 

The concern in Kara's voice sent a pleasant sensation down the brunette's body. "Yes. But to tell you the truth, I'm nervous to meet your mother." She stole one more glance in the Queen's direction.

 

"You've got nothing to worry about, I promise." Kara smiled kindly and thumbed over Lena's knuckles resting on her other arm. Her smile dropped the tiniest bit as she added, "I'm nervous to meet your mother as well."

 

Lena only nodded. She didn't want to think of how the conversation between her, her new wife, Lillian, and Lex would go tonight. Besides her and Kara, mixing Luthors and Danvers' together did not really mix well. She could only pray every night and thank every god she could think of that Kara was so nice and caring from the moment they met. Lena was glad that they were married at last, but they were also two women, and her family frowned upon that as well. Hearing Lex and Lillian call the blonde a 'whore' and 'slut' in private hurt enough as is, but she didn't think she'd be able to stay in the dining hall if they said those insults around Kara.

 

"Lena?" The youngest Danvers tapped her hand to pull her focus back to the real world. "Are you okay?"

 

"My mind just wandered off somewhere else, I'm fine." She shook it off and smiled as brightly as she could to the woman. Lena quickly noticed how Kara's face switched from a soft grin to what could be described as a wanton gaze. She tilted her head in confusion as the Kryptonian continued to look down at her with a focused expression. "Is something wrong?"

 

"I just really want to kiss you right now," Kara confessed, briefly glancing down at her lips, then up to her eyes again. "But if I do I don't think I can stop." She smirked when Lena's cheeks flushed red as she donned a shy smile and pointing her gaze down, positively flattered.

 

"I don't think your sister would like that very much," Lena gestured to Alex, obviously curious as to why they were looking at her and giggling.

 

"Come on, I'll do the talking if you want." The blonde gently led her in Eliza and Alex's direction, easing the Luthor's rising nervousness with a feather-light kiss on her temple.

 

The Queen waited until the two princesses were a few feet away before greeting them, smiling kindly at her adopted daughter's appropriate show of affection. As the new couple approached Eliza's smile got wider. Although their marriage was arranged, they just looked happy next to each other, comfortable in one another's space. Briefly, she thought of herself and Jeremiah. They hadn't fallen in love until after their wedding, but it seemed like the opposite for Kara and Lena. As a queen, she was moderately skilled in detecting when someone was falsely joyful, and so far the two girls in front of her didn't show any sign of it.

 

Coming to a stop in front of her mother and sister, Kara was delighted when Eliza immediately welcomed Lena. "Princess Lena, how are you fairing this evening?"

 

Caught off-guard by the Queen's words, the brunette took a second to gather herself. "I am well, Your Majesty." She bowed, holding onto Kara for what probably felt like dear life. She certainly did not expect such instant kindness from Eliza. Her brother had tried time and time again to overthrow her from Nationell Citi's throne, losing many lives and resources over it, and yet here she was asking how she was.

 

"I apologize I was not able to meet you before the wedding. Court has been very busy these past weeks."

 

"It's no trouble," Lena answered simply. "I would expect it to be a little hectic during the whole wedding and celebration." A wedding between supposed enemies wasn't necessarily something you got to see every day.

 

Kara just watched in private shock, mixed with a little satisfaction. Before they came over she said that she would do the talking, suspecting that Lena would be more comfortable that way. Kara could tell by the way she was holding her arm tightly that the raven-haired woman was still slightly reserved, holding herself back a bit, but she was glad to see the Luthor coming a small degree further out of her shell.

 

"Yes, well, I don't want to keep you both." Eliza kept her kind smile as she waved her hand towards the two empty seats next to her and Alex. "There's plenty of food and I'd hate for you to miss out."

 

Alex huffed humorously as Kara visibly brightened at the mention of food. "Down, girl." She teased, earning a glare from her younger sister.

 

"Can you two not act like children for one minute together?" Eliza scolded, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "Honestly." She turned to Lena and faked an annoyed expression, causing the brunette to laugh quietly, avoiding the older woman's kind eyes by looking at the blonde, who gave one last playful glare Alex's way before nodding to her mother in agreement.

 

"I think it would be good to get something to eat after the long day." Kara let go of Lena to pull out one of the chairs out for her.

 

"Look at you, so courteous." Alex joked as she and her mother sat down. The auburn-haired woman ignored the soft nudge from Eliza, sitting down right next to her sister-in-law. They shared an awkward look as Alex glanced down at Lena's covered neck, the other girl noticing the movement. She decided to break the uncomfortable silence as soon as possible. "It's good to see you again, Luthor."

 

The younger one nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Likewise."

 

Alex argued with herself whether or not to say more, biting her tongue and tapping her foot against the floor. "Does it still hurt?" At the look of puzzlement on Lena's face, she quickly elaborated, leaning in closer so no one else could hear. "Your neck?"

 

The brunette and Kara spun in her direction at once, the blonde's Kryptonian hearing picking up on her sister's words. "Alex!" She warned in a harsh whisper but was stopped from saying any more when she felt her wife's hand on her forearm she closed her mouth.

 

"Not much anymore," Lena replied shyly. "Thank you for not saying anything."

 

"Of course." Alex actually smiled at her. Smiled. She had to admit that the older Danvers' looked a lot nicer when she wasn't glaring daggers into Lena's soul. The expression did look a bit tighter than the Luthor wanted, but at least it was something.

 

{***}

 

Everyone quickly jumped into dinner, Kara filling up her plate and happily digging in, making sure to use her napkin and not eat too fast thanks to a pointed look her way from both her sister and mother. The blonde was about to fill her plate up again with some of the meat and vegetables laid out in front of her but took a second glance as she realized that Lena's plate was empty aside from a few bread crumbs, the silverware set neatly on top and the dish was pushed away from the young princess. Lena was looking straight ahead, apparently lost in her thoughts.

 

The Kryptonian gently nudged the heiress with her leg, breaking Lena's gaze away from the middle of the space to meet her bright blue eyes. "Are you still hungry?"

 

"I shouldn't, but thank you." She politely declined with a sort of sad tint to her features.

 

"But there's plenty." She insisted, finding it difficult to see what was wrong. "Is something bothering you?"

 

Lena hesitated before whispering, "My mother is looking."

 

Kara tried her best to casually look to the table to their left where the other Luthors sat stoic, simply looking around the room with bored expressions, but sure enough, Lillian would steal a peek towards her daughter every now and then, her hard eyes squinting wickedly. It all became clear to her: Lena wasn't eating much because of her mother's judgmental looks. Even a blind person would be able to tell that the youngest Luthor was still hungry, but the heavy and intimidating stare from the brunette's mother was enough to shove her want for food away.

 

Growing angry with the way Lena's family was treating her, able to get underneath her skin even from a distance, Kara reached forward and grabbing a slice of chocolate cake, picked up her fork and cut out a bit of the piece at the tip and raised it up to Lena, clearing her throat as the raven-haired woman turned around. "Here, try some of this. It's delicious."

 

Lena began to pick at her fingers nervously. "But my mothe—"

 

"I don't care what your mother thinks. This is your wedding day too, and you shouldn't have to limit yourself when you still want to eat." Kara raised the fork a little higher to remind her it was still there. She continued even as Lena blushed from the strong but gentle tone she was using. "Just one bite. That's all I ask."

 

Lena didn't have to check to see if her mother was watching them, she knew she was. For as long as she could remember Lillian would not-so-kindly remind her that the more she ate the less desired she would be. After dinner when Lena would eat more than usual her mother would scold her in the mirror for having no self-control, making a show of how much harder it was to tie her corsets or zip up dresses. Lena soon got used to it. Even if Lillian somehow wasn't there to watch her like a hawk when she ate she'd still restrict herself from filling herself completely. But then Kara was pleading to her with her vibrant blue eyes, holding out the sugary bite out for her, and something in her body knew that she couldn't turn it down.

 

Making up her mind, Lena leaned forward and opened her mouth, closing her lips around her fork as Kara slowly slid it out of her mouth, leaving the piece of cake for her to taste. The rich frosting coating her tongue was, in fact, delicious, and the sponge of the cake was perfectly soft. She held back a moan at the sugary flavor, swallowing slowly as if to savor it. Meanwhile, Kara beamed with equal delight and satisfaction as she watched her enjoy the dessert. "Do you want more?"

 

"Yes." Even Lena surprised herself at how quick she answered. It didn't matter what her family thought of right now, all that mattered was that with every bite of the yummy cake Kara's smile grew impossibly wider. Alex would occasionally feign a disgusted face and roll her eyes when she saw her little sister feeding Lena. "Thank you." She said just after she swallowed down another little piece.

 

"Only the best for the best." Kara smiled, repeating the phrase so often used among them.

 

After splitting the piece of cake between the two of them and happily devouring it, Lena and Kara allowed their plates to be taken away by a servant. Looking out at the smiling people as they danced together to the slightly slower music gave the blonde an idea. "Would you like to dance with me?"

 

Lena hesitated, glancing out at the dancefloor to see how many people were there, who would be looking. "I don't think I know how to dance." She confessed, shrugging half-heartedly.

 

"It's easy. Come on, it'll be fun." Kara urged gently, standing and offering her hand out to the younger woman, curling her bottom lip in a cute pouting face.

 

Sighing in defeat, the Luthor shyly smiled and rose from her seat, taking Kara's hand as they walked around the table. The two wives were about to step into the dancing crowd together, but before they could join the couples in the middle of the room Lena felt a hand on her shoulder that was too big to be Kara's. She turned around and gasped. Kara was about to ask if she was alright, but she too turned and saw who was behind them.

 

"Enjoying the festivities, I hope?" Lex's deep voice gave Lena's skin goosebumps. She was fumbling to get a response out, but before she could Lex went on. "I was just about to ask Miss Kara for a dance. You know, get to know my new sister-in-law more."

 

Although Kara would rather dance with Lena and not leave her alone, it would be rude to refuse a dance from a king, someone of higher rank. "Of course, Your Majesty," Kara tightly smiled, turning to Lena and telling her to wait for a moment. She then followed the Luthor onto the dancefloor, letting him put his hand on her waist, the other holding her hand as they began to move with the music. It felt strange, wrong to have his hands on her; hands that caused Lena such pain and distress.

 

As they stepped in time with the music, Lex calmly broke the silence. "I meant to tell you about some certain...tricks to help you in your married life."

 

She furrowed her brow. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but I do not know what you mean."

 

"No, you wouldn't." He murmured. "You and Lena are still young, you can't possibly understand anything about marriage." The disappointment dripping from his words Kara want to smack him. "It's important that our kingdoms have a strong connection after all."

 

"This is what this wedding was for, was it not?"

 

"This wedding was for an extended time of peace between our kingdoms, and to make that connection strong you'll need an heir, and as two women it is not possible to have a child that is biologically your's and my sister's." He explained, sighing in disgust as he talked about their same-sex marriage.

 

Kara resisted the temptation to pull her sword out and run it through him. "We have ways. Marriages between two men or two women have been going on for years in Nationell Citi and in other places around the Seven Kingdoms." She didn't see how loving who you wanted to was a problem to the evil king. In the Kingdom of Krypton, it was possible for females to possess the ability to 'father' a child because of their different DNA structure from other humans.

 

Lex gritted his teeth as he glanced over Kara's shoulder to his sister, who was watching them with great nervousness, looking quite distraught. He pointed his attention back to the secretly fuming blonde. "You know, when we were younger Lena would always believe that she'd be married off to a handsome lord in a giant palace. At least she got half of what she wanted."

 

Kara was really struggling to keep her hands to herself, knowing full well that all she to do was squeeze his hand and she could break it like a twig. He clearly had no problem insulting her right to her face, no matter how casual he was doing so. She could understand now why Lena feared him, why Alex hated him so much. This was her first time meeting the vile king, and she already knew she didn't want to again. During her inner thoughts about how to stab him and get away with it, she realized that he was talking to her.

 

"—everything. Lena's just naive: It's her weakness. Every now and then she has to be put in her place. I've learned that being more...hands-on with her can help with—"

 

Kara had enough. She might be strong enough to lift a horse off the ground, but she was not strong enough to hold herself back when the brother of her wife was saying such despicable things. "Stop." She said, fully glaring at him now.

 

"Excuse me?" He taunted, raising her eyebrow similar to the way the youngest Luthor did, but much more irritating.

 

"The music isn't too loud. I think you heard just fine." Kara narrowed her eyes further as they danced. "Lena is passionate and kind, and she deserves the proper respect. She shouldn't have to hide bruises on her skin made the day before her wedding." The Kryptonian couldn't stop the words from coming out. She didn't care if Lex was a king, he needed to hear it.

 

Instead of lashing out or becoming more hostile, Lex just smirked and snickered quietly, nothing humorous about it even though he seemed to be entertained. "Ah, Lady Danvers, that's where you're wrong. True Luthors are respected and upheld. She's only half of one."

 

"No, Luthors are feared and hateful." She clarified quickly, her voice on the edge of a growl even as she kept her face somewhat collected, as to not draw attention to them. "I couldn't be happier that Lena is nothing like you."

 

Lex lost his composer for a second. Kara knew she was getting to him, and he felt threatened by that. "I would calm down if I were you. If it weren't for my generous offer, there wouldn't even be a wedding in the first place."

 

"If you hadn't picked a fight with us and sent your army out at every chance you had without a plan, _then_ there wouldn't be a wedding in the first place, Your Majesty." Kara stated, dying to finally say the unspoken words that sat between them for so long. She smiled sardonically, putting on a good face for the people around her.

 

Before Lex could say anything else the music stopped and people clapped for the musicians, Kara pulling herself not-so-gently out of his arms as the dance ended. She bowed lowly and mumbled her thanks for the dance before turning on her heel to leave, to find Lena, but after only walking a few steps she felt a hand grip her wrist in a tight grip, forcing her to spin around. She came face to face with Lex again, who looked very full of himself right then. "I challenge you, Kara Danvers!" He spat her name out like a curse, grabbing the attention of many people, including Alex and Eliza.

 

"To what?"

 

"To a fight. A bet, if you will." He clarified.

 

Kara had never been challenged before, but it was common knowledge that if someone challenged you to a duel—usually a knight—then you couldn't back down. If you did, your title as a knight would be stripped away, a show of humiliation. The blonde was confident in her ability to fight, should a moment like this ever arise.

 

She twisted her wrist out of his firm grasp, not having to look around to know that all eyes were now on them. "just you and me, no champions?" She questioned, not trusting him to stay by the rules with being reminded.

 

He nodded curtly.

 

"What are we betting on?" She asked, standing her ground.

 

Lex didn't even have to think before sounding out his wager. "If I win then your mother will step down as queen." Gasps filled the room, replacing the merry conversations and laughing.

 

Kara bit down on her lip briefly. This was getting very serious. She glanced in her adopted mother's direction, seeing Alex with wide eyes similar to everyone else, shaking her head frantically. Despite the clear warning to reject it from her family, Kara focused back on Lex with raging eyes. "Fine." She nodded, ignoring the sounds of surprise from the nobles, servants, and maids watching the whole deal. "But if I win... You and your mother will _never_ set foot in Nationell Citi ever again."

 

The Luthor King thought it over for a second, briefly glancing at her medals, unimpressed. He clearly sizing her up on the outside, thinking her to be just a hot-headed girl not deserving of her military awards, but inside she was a trained soldier, a wild lion ready to pounce. "Tomorrow, at noonday?" He said, sticking his hand out for her to shake.

 

She looked down at his hand, then back up to his hideous green eyes. A sudden fire lit within her as those same eyes, that same smirk reminded her of Lionel. The man that took everything from her. Without another thought, Kara reached forward and shook his hand, returning the firm grip. The bet was struck. Kara marched away, looking around but unable to find the raven-haired beauty among the other individuals. She immediately made her way over to her sister, a shocked look on her face. "Where's Lena?"

 

"Kara, why would you—"

 

"Where is she?" The Kryptonian pressed in an urgent tone.

 

"But—" Alex sighed, not wanting to drop the subject but seeing no point in arguing with her. "I heard her ask of the maids to take her to you guys' new room."

 

The blonde huffed defeatedly, quickly pushing through the mass of stunned people. She bumped Clark on the shoulder by accident during her rush. "Kara you can't be serio—"

 

"Not now, Clark!" She called out to him. Yes, it was a risky bet to place but right now Lena was more important. If she left, then that meant she was probably upset. Kara barely waited for the dining room's massive doors to open before slipping out, remembering the way to her new room and sprinting through the halls to find her wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will continue, but I am currently moving, so due to my place of residence going under renovations to sell, I will not have as much time to write as usual, so the next chapter will be in two weeks. Thank you for understanding, ~L
> 
> Next Chapter: Saturday, May 25th, 2019


	12. Chapter 12

She was told that her new room that she shared with Lena would be in the same wing and just one floor higher, so thankfully it wasn't that hard to find in the giant palace. Even if it was her room as well, Kara still knocked before entering, hearing no noise before opening the door. She saw Lena sitting on her edge of the large bed facing away from her, shoulders slightly slouched and fists bunched up in the fabric of her wedding dress. Kara opened her mouth to say something, anything, but felt as though an invisible force stopped her. She had a feeling she knew why Lena rushed out of the feast, and there was nothing she felt like she could say to make things better.

 

Instead, the blonde simply walked over to one of the nearby dressers and unfastened her sword belt and placed the weapon in its sheath on top of the surface. Then she began unpinning her medals one by one and setting them gently next to her sword, hoping to feel a bit more comfortable in the tense atmosphere of words waiting to be spoken, but not wanting to say them.

 

As she moved Lena didn't move, didn't say anything. She just sat on the bed with her head pointed down. Kara wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to sit down as well, whether it be beside the distressed princess or all the way across the spacious room. Over the course of a mere few seconds, the painful silence became overwhelming and Kara couldn't stay quiet for long. She sighed lamentably and scrubbed her face with her hand, slightly jaded. "Please say something."

 

"We are married now," Lena whispered after a moment. Kara kept quiet even if she didn't know why the Luthor was pointing out the obvious. "And you already have a death-wish." She didn't sound cold or condescending, she sounded afflicted. 

 

Kara winced when she heard Lena's voice crack a little bit, feeling guilty that she was the reason for her being upset, shaking her head at her foolishness. "Lena, I—"

 

"Why would you bet your entire kingdom against him?" The ravenette interrupted, her gaze rising from her feet to straight ahead of her, still not looking at her. "You don't how dangerous he is, Kara."

 

Attempting to speak again, the Kryptonian hesitantly took a step forward. "I'm sorry," She explained with a small voice. "It was not my intent to make you upset, but I don't regret standing up for you."

 

Silence swept over them once again, just as painful as before. Normally Kara would have an answer for everything, but at a time like this, her mouth stayed shut. She could only look down at the carpet sadly, waiting for the Luthor to break the silence and scold her for messing up. She should never have accepted that dance, but she was just so angry with Lex and the things he said about her, Lena, and their relationship. He had no place in it, and every time she saw his face she saw the bruises on her wife's neck, the fear in her eyes that night they kissed for the first time...

 

"I'm not upset with you," Lena finally spoke, putting her head in her hands. "Before my father died he made sure that Lex knew how to wield a sword. Not just wield it, he is the greatest fighter in Thorul." She rose to her feet, turning around to face Kara, eyes shining with tears. "He doesn't care about rules or anything of the sort. He was once challenged by a member of his guard, you know? It was a simple fight: Who could disarm the other first."

 

Kara listened as she told the story about her brother, looking up from the spot on the floor when Lena paused. "What happened?" She felt like she already knew the answer, but didn't want to assume.

 

"Lex killed him, Kara." The youngest Luthor choked out, the tears threatening to fall finally doing so. "He didn't even bother to disarm him first. He just ran his sword through his stomach. I can't let him do that to you too... I cannot lose y..." She trailed off, shaking her head and covering her mouth, in fear that if she said the next words then they might come true.

 

The Kryptonian paled instantly, her suspicions confirmed. She had fought many men and sometimes faced off against tens at a time, but if her brother was really as uncivil and ruthless in combat as she just now thought, then of course it would be a damn good reason for Lena to be so affected by the challenge. Also, no one she had fought had been a king. An evil king. Somehow her legs started to work again and she took a few steps forward, longing to comfort her wife. "Lena, you won't lose me."

 

"How can I be certain?" The ravenette pleaded, her voice only reaching just above a whisper. Her tears were visible in the light from the candle and the lit fireplace far away from the bed.

 

How could she be certain? How could she make sure that she could beat Lex in combat? Kara knew she was excellent with a sword and different weapons, but even the most skilled people could be injured or fall. The people of Krypton and family were a sad example of that. All she could try to do was express the emotions accurate to what she was feeling. "Just trust me, please." She quickly continued before Lena could object. "I know that trust isn't easy for you. Believe me, there are only two people in this world that I trust with my life."

 

"Who?" Lena carefully asked, tone growing a bit more hopeful.

 

It wasn't a secret—at least not to Kara—so she didn't hesitate to respond. "Alex... And you." She shrugged as her lips pulled into a half smile.

 

Lena blinked a few times, a little shocked. "Y—You trust me with your life?"

 

"Yes." The blonde confirmed, not letting the silence take over again. "We haven't known each other for very long, but I feel a certain... connection to you that I've never felt before with anyone else." She revealed sincerely. "I mean, Alex has always been an amazing sister and welcomed me into her home with open arms, literally. But I've never had such a close relationship with someone so quick."

 

The Luthor could easily understand what she was saying. Their meeting, relationship, and the wedding had all happened so suddenly, but it was both of the women's first romantic bond with another person. She had told herself quite a few times that it all felt normal, right. But as a Luthor, it wasn't easy trusting anyone, let alone having them trust you with their very being. "Oh." Was all the brunette could manage after hearing the new information.

 

Kara quickly grew nervous, wondering if the far-off look in Lena's eyes was a bad thing or not. "Was that too much?" She tensed, waiting for a response. 

 

Pulling herself out her head and taking a few steps forward, Lena gave Kara her best smile and took a breath, not sure if she was really to admit her thoughts. "I—No. It's... Just a week ago I was positive that there was no future for me with anyone, and now in the blink of an eye, I have a wife. A good, caring wife." She immediately reached out for the blonde, finding that just the simple act of holding her hand filled her with so much more strength than before. Lena found it sweet that Kara always waited for her to make the first move, being so patient with her.

 

Kara didn't know until just now, but she loved the way that Lena called her her wife. It set her nerves on fire, cheeks flushed as evidence of it. She too desired the contact, so she took Lena's hand and lifted it to rest on her shoulder while their other hands remained joined together. The younger heiress moved willingly, laughing quietly when Kara began to sway back and forth with her, humming a random tune. Lena was about to ask how they went from seriousness to tenderness so quickly, but the blonde whispered in her ear, "I never got to dance with my wife yet, you know?"

 

Lena had never danced with anyone before, but she had been to enough balls and feasts, watching other people do it. She recalled seeing the men swirling the women around, following one another's footsteps. Soon, the Luthor found herself dancing comfortably with Kara, moving her right foot in time with the Kryptonian's left, right, then left again. She listened to Kara's smooth voice and felt the young Danvers' hand press their bodies a little closer. Suddenly, a switch flipped inside of her like nothing ever before, and she found the fabric between them very annoying, just wanting to be closer somehow. "Kara?"

 

"Hmm?" The blonde stopped humming and looked into her _unfairly bright_ emerald eyes. The beautiful expression on her face made Lena want to kiss her so badly, but her first thought was rapidly becoming the main priority.

 

She didn't know how to say it out loud; She scarcely recognized the feeling herself for a minute, her body never having felt that emotion yet suddenly she was craving it. "Could you help me with my dress?" Kara froze instantly, her frame as stiff as a board. Lena began to worry that she had said the wrong thing, that it was too soon. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be—"

 

"N—No, no, it's not that. I can help." Kara interrupted, jolted out of her surprise with a confident nod. The Luthor smiled sheepishly and took her hands off of the blonde. She let her wife turn her around, closing her eyes as the older woman moved her braid over her shoulder and out of the way. The zipper started at the back of her neck and ended at the small of her back. Kara pulled it down painfully slowly and Lena could hear her breath hitch when she found nothing else underneath the white fabric. The older princess stopped about an inch or two away from the end and quietly shuffled back a half-step.

 

Lena slumped slightly into herself, on the edge of more tears. "What's wrong?" Her mother was right. She could never be satisfactory for someone. "Do you not find me...desirable enough?" She shyly asked.

 

The blonde winced at the mere thought. "No! I—I mean...You're wonderful, I just didn't know you wanted me to see you in that way." She placed her hand on the brunette's shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze, for both her and the younger woman.

 

Lena relaxed, visibly relieved. It was foolish to think that Kara would turn her away so quickly just because of the way she looked underneath her clothes. Before speaking, the younger woman turned her head to look at Kara. She blushed at the lustful expression across her attractive features. "You can take it off. If you want."

 

The Kryptonian nodded slowly, but her smile fell. "Lena, I would _love_ to, but I have the feeling that _you_ don't want to." The shorter woman sighed stiffly, looking away from Kara's eyes, but the blonde tried to chase them back. "We don't need to force anything just yet. I'm happy like this: being near you, kissing, or anything else."

 

The Luthor smiled shyly and nodded in understanding. "I am happy with that too,"

 

"But?"

 

Of course, Kara would be able to hear the uncertainty in her voice. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the blonde wasn't going to judge her or make her be quiet for saying what she desired. "I was told that on our wedding night we're supposed to consecrate our marriage. The maids said if I didn't want to then I would be forced."

 

Kara's head was spinning now. Lena looked and sounded so small and afraid as she told her what she was thinking about. It scared her that Lena thought she would force herself upon her in such a vulgar way. Just thinking about it made her stomach tie itself in a knot. The blonde made a mental note to track down the maids that filled her wife's mind with such a horrible thought. She had to struggle against the ill feeling that overcame her as she spoke. "I would never do that to you, Lena. Never. Please know that."

 

The brunette nodded. "So we don't have to do anything yet?"

 

"Absolutely not," Kara confirmed, taking a risk and putting her hand on Lena's cheek, caressing it and gently tilting her head back up to gain eye contact again. "I will never do anything to you without your consent."

 

At that moment Lena felt the immense amount of care and sincerity in her wife's words deep within her body, and that same wanton feeling overcame her, but it was less scary and pressuring, more gentle and relaxing. "For now, will you please kiss me?"

 

Kara pretended to think about the question, pinching her chin and grinning when Lena rolled her eyes jokingly. "Always." She leaned forward into the pleasantly warm woman's space and closed her eyes, her lips meeting the brunette's for the first time in a long time. They showed no signs of stopping other than the princesses need to breathe, Kara happily taking the lead and placing Lena's arms on her shoulders, the Luthor wrapping them around her by herself. It drove the Kryptonian positively crazy when she'd sigh into their kisses, but it was even better when her hands came down to Lena's waist and squeezed lightly, a quiet moan sounded from the younger's mouth and sent a wonderful spark throughout her body.

 

However, the youngest Luthor pulled away and bit down on the inside of her bottom lip, appearing to be embarrassed by the small noise she had made. "Don't be embarrassed," Kara rushed to assure her. "I like the sounds you make. There's no need to hide them; it kind of helps me know whether or not you like it too." She confidence went down slightly as she spoke, but smiled all the same. Everything was still very new to both women.

 

Lena's blush turned from embarrassed to slightly nervous. "I've never felt so... _good_ in another's presence before. Sometimes I just get carried away."

 

The blonde just pulled her closer. Instead of kissing her again she whispered softly in her ear, making sure to take note of the brunette's reaction. "Does this feel good?" Kara then pressed her lips to the youngest Luthor's jaw, grinning like a thief as Lena wrapped her arms tighter around her.

 

"Very much." She responded through gritted teeth as Kara's kisses got lower, down to her throat, the fabric previously there was pulled away easily by the lack of being zipped. She tilted her head so that the Kryptonian could have better access. Lena didn't know that being kissed anywhere else besides her mouth could feel so good. From the way her wife placed gentle pecks on the fading bruises there, Lena convinced herself that each caress was like medicine, that the marks would fade much faster just from this. 

 

Kara continued to kiss her down her neck and back up to her soft, full lips. She put a hand around Lena's back and touched the bare skin there. She instantly pulled away as slowly as possible to prolong their embrace. eventually they both separated and Kara absently played with the unzipped portion of her wedding dress. "Would you like to put on a nightgown?"

 

Until she mentioned it Lena didn't even remember her state of slight undress. She was briefly taken aback, not by the question but by the pleasant effect that the Danvers Princess seemed to emit over her like a beam of warm sunlight. "Yes," The brunette nodded, smiling shyly as she cast her gaze downward and fiddled with the sleeves of her wedding gown.

 

The Kryptonian stepped away and went for Lena's wardrobe, but the younger woman's voice behind her halted her movements. "Actually, um..." Lena cleared her throat quietly, working up the courage to say what she wished. "May I sleep in one of your shirts tonight?"

 

Kara didn't immediately answer, the question throwing her off-guard. Nevertheless, she nodded and walked to her wardrobe on the other side of the bed, opening it and taking out two nightshirts; one for her, and the other for her wife, who simply watched as she fetched the clothes. The blonde also grabbed two pairs of pants for them, then made her way back over to Lena and handed out the pieces of fabric for her to take. "Here."

 

"Thank you..." Lena gratefully took the pants and shirt.

 

"May I ask why you'd prefer tunics over gowns? Is it because it's more comfortable for you?" Kara asked. She'd be happy to replace the woman's dresses for pants and shirts if she liked them more.

 

The Luthor blushed held the garments tighter against herself. "N—No... Not that."

 

Kara could see the look of embarrassment on the girl's face similar to a moment ago and quickly settled her nerves. "I won't judge you, it's okay."

 

"Well," Lena straightened a little and looked up into Kara's eyes, reminding the older of a shy child. "It smells like you. Th—that night that we kissed and I fell asleep next to you...I—I don't know, I guess that being close to you helped calmed me a little, and ever since then I've just missed your comforting presence when I sleep."

 

After a beat of silence between the two newlyweds, Kara's heart fluttered inside her chest as she brought her free hand up to her wife's face and smiled into another small lip-lock, enjoying the feeling of the beautiful brunette kissing her back immediately. She stopped long enough to word a sentence. "You can sleep in my shirt any night you'd like to."

 

Lena sighed happily and pecked the taller woman's lips once more before pulling away, the light weight of the clothes in her arm reminding her that she still had to change. "Speaking of shirts..." She blushed brighter and raised up the garments stiffly, not sure how to ask for privacy.

 

Thankfully, Kara instantly understood and laughed awkwardly, looking down at her own clothes slung on one arm. "Oh, of course, I'll just—I can leave or—"

 

"You can just turn around to dress," Lena suggested quickly, smiling at the fumbling words that came out of the Kryptonian's mouth. "I won't look, and I trust you won't either."

 

She nodded rapidly in agreement, cheeks and neck flushed crimson. "Yes, okay, I will do that. See you in a minute?"

 

Lena chuckled at Kara's words and flustered appearance. "Yes." She echoed the other princess, turning her back at the same time she did.

 

The youngest Luthor listened to the quiet clinking of what she guessed was Kara undoing her belt, or buttons or something, the sound of fabric sliding and dropping to the floor. She briefly bit her lip at the knowledge that if turned around she could possibly see a muscled back or legs, but somehow resisted as she hurried to pull her arms out of the wedding dress and let it fall off her torso. She then lifted her legs out one by one and shoved the white fabric off to the side. Besides undergarments on her bottom half, Lena now stood naked in the same room as her new wife, the thought bringing her blush back to her features, stronger than before. To help distract her from the self-conscious things entering her mind Lena grabbed Kara's borrowed pants and slipped them on, along with the shirt. She quickly checked herself before stilling, noticing the lack of sound behind her as a sign that the blonde was finished getting dressed.

 

"Is it alright if I turn around?" Kara asked, also noting the silence.

 

"Yes," Lena confirmed quietly, turning around at the time as the blonde.

 

The first thing both women noticed was how their eyes met before looking each other up and down innocently, as if searching for a reason not to. "You look...good." Kara paused to swallow the lump in her throat, positively stunned by the feeling in her body from seeing Lena in her clothes. Her shirts were a bit too big for the smaller princess, causing the piece of fabric to hang lower and expose more of her chest, the skin there red from her complement.

 

"Thank you." Lena smiled and fiddled with the hem of the shirt subconsciously.

 

After a few seconds of just looking at one another, Kara decided to speak up regarding a question that had been floating around in her mind for a little while, her hand rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "So, would you like me to...carry you to bed? I was told that is what most couples do on their wedding night."

 

"They do?" The brunette tilted her head, thinking it over. "I thought that was just something in stories written to make it sound more romantic." She confessed with a light-hearted huff.

 

"And who says we can't be like in the stories?"

 

The little Luthor laughed genuinely as Kara shrugged and casually walked over with a teasing grin. Such forward behavior from a person would usually result in Lena grimacing or ducking her head in embarrassment, but coming from the older woman it all felt natural. However, a concern did slip through her mouth before she could stop it. "I don't know if you can carry me."

 

"I've done it before," Kara pointed out, thinking back to that night of her panic attack.

 

Lena just nodded, huffing as she remembered. "Oh, yes. I guess I thought it was a dream."

 

Kara was briefly surprised by the strong impression she left on the younger princess, glad that her affections were noticed and even returned. She brought herself closer to her bride, close enough to almost feel the brunette's breath on her face. "I'd love to do it again."

 

A timid simper stretched across Lena's features made her heart beat faster. "Okay." The younger woman agreed and held her arms up slightly, giving Kara room to pick her up.

 

The Kryptonian smiled and took a step further, bending down and putting her arm behind the brunette's legs, quickly lifting up and positioning her other arm under her back so that Lena's whole body was supported. The Luthor wrapped her arm around Kara's neck and rested the other one on the center of her chest, pushing away the approaching squeal at the initial panic of being picked up so easily. It amazing her that Kara wasn't straining or anything, only smiling happily as she walked towards on side of their bed with her bride in her arms. The last time she held Lena like this was after Lex had strangled her in his room, but now it was their wedding night and they felt happy and content. Kara planted a quick kiss on Lena's cheek before laying her down on the large bed, the younger princess looking much smaller on the giant surface. It was a little surprising to the blonde that even if she didn't have her Kryptonian strength, Lena would still be very easy to lift... Almost too easy. She made a mental note to tell the servants to bring up more food up for her and the littlest Luthor in the mornings.

 

Instead of setting her down on the bed and walking around to the other side, Kara put Lena down nicely on the soft mattress before taking a step back and—to the brunette's shock—leaped over her body and landed on the other side of the bed, bouncing up and down a few times like an excited kid. Lena gasped in surprise but soon broke into laughter at the sight of her wife acting so childlike and cheerful. "Is that another storybook tradition?" She teased, turning onto her side to face the blonde better.

 

"No, I just like feeling carefree around you," Kara explained, moving on her side as well, now face to face with her. "People expect the crown princess to be so proper or serious, and even if I'm not always like that in public, it feels great to be loose and playful with my wife."

 

"Your wife?" Lena blushed, flattered, but covered it with a joking eyebrow raise. The title sounded so nice on Kara's tongue, and for the first time in her life, the Luthor didn't mind being called someone else's spouse.

 

The Kryptonian brought her hand up to brush a bit of hair back behind the shorter woman's ear, letting her fingers trail down her smooth cheek. "Yeah. You're my wife, and I really like that."

 

Lena knew that she was to open her mouth, the lump in her throat wouldn't let her speak. A charming, beautiful woman was lying next to her in _their_ bed, admitting that she liked being married to her; a bastard and a Luthor. All she could do for now was get closer to Kara and gaze thoughtfully into her perfect, loving blue eyes, letting her mind wander as she studied the goddess before her. Like she had thought about previously, it had only taken a week to grow so familiar with Kara. Lena felt more safe and free around her than any other person she had met in her entire existence. Occasionally, it was hard to think that she could find such passion and devotion in someone in such a small period of time. One day Lena was introduced to this attractive, generous woman who she was taught to despise, and the next she was terrified of losing her. _Terrified._ Suddenly she was distracted by the horrific images of that soldier dying a gruesome death at the hands of her brother, wondering if that soldier from her thoughts would soon be replaced by Kara.

 

The older princess instantly saw her bride's mood and expression change, quickly reaching out and putting her hand on the younger's hip, rubbing the area there up and down slowly. It wasn't sexual, just comforting. "Hey, what's wrong?"

 

"I...The—" Lena shook her head and huffed, frustrated with herself for ruining a perfectly good moment with her stupid fears. "Promise me that whatever happens tomorrow...If Lex tries—I just—I can't lose you, Kara." Her voice only came out to a whisper, broken and small. Panic was rising in her chest just thinking about her wife in danger.

 

"Hey," Kara soothed her gently, pulling her closer on the bed to her own body with a little assistance from the youngest Luthor, whose eyes were shut tight to stop the approaching tears. "It's going to be fine. I'll beat him fair and square, and then he can never harm you again."

 

Lena opened her eyes again at the feeling of the Kryptonian's warm hand cupping her face, tenderly stroking along her cheekbones. Her touch certainly did calm her down, but only a little. "And if you don't?" She didn't want to say it, imagine it, but she needed to know.

 

A little thrown off-guard by the question, Kara swallowed down her concern for her spouse and spoke up with a newly determined tone. "He won't. I will not let him rip us apart. We're stronger than that." Her arm that was looped around Lena's waist held her tighter than ever until their bodies were pressed together.

 

"Promise me, Kara." The young Luthor whispered. "Promise me you'll be alright."

 

"I promise." The blonde didn't hesitate to reply, speaking softly as she came forward to kiss her wife on the forehead. They both knew that she couldn't truly be sure that nothing would happen to her tomorrow, but it was the sincerity and determined belief that everything would be okay that helped lull both women to sleep, wrapped around each other in their shared bed as they listened to the beating of one another's hearts. Lena's last thought on her mind before exhaustion overtook her was whether or not she'd get to hear that steady heartbeat again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how it went, and while you're at it, let me know your predictions for the next chapter!
> 
> Next Chapter: Friday, May 31th, 2019.


	13. Chapter 13

After Kara had split off from the party to find Lena, Alex waited until the festivities continued before tapping her mother on the arm and politely excusing herself from the table of half-drunk lords and chatting ladies. The auburn-haired woman slid past other people and out one of the smaller exits that led to her chambers. It felt weird knowing that Kara would no longer be only a door away from her, now a whole floor above her in a bigger room and sharing it with the Luthor princess. Damn her little sister and the trouble she got into because of that woman. Taking a bet with Lex Luthor... Her nerves were saved from falling off the edge as she made it up to the top of the staircase and was met by her girlfriend standing just near her room as if knowing she'd flee there just then. An exhale of relief fell from her mouth and she quickened her pace. Her loud footsteps made the brunette knight turn towards the sound, her face lighting up as she made eye contact with her lover.

 

"Alex, hey. I didn't think you'd be done with dinner so soon."

 

"I had to get away," Alex shook her head and looked around, checking nobody was in sight before opening her room door and showing Maggie inside, thankful that a maid had already lit a few candles to give the space some light.

 

The smaller of the women happily came inside, waiting for the door to close before speaking. "Why? Did they not serve your preferred ale at the fancy tables?" She tried to joke but noticed how Alex only half-smiled and shrugged, raking a hand through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down.

 

"I wish I had a good cup of ale right about now." She watched her girlfriend frown at her words.

 

"Something happened?" The brunette guessed, already knowing the answer.

 

Alex nodded and rested both her hands on the bed, suddenly punching the mattress hard and fast a couple of times, growling in frustration to somehow vent out her anger. Maggie rounded the foot of the bed, briefly glancing at one of the chairs and blushing at the sight of one of her missing shirts resting on the back of it from one of their passionate nights. "Care to share?" She asked, a little hesitant to work up the princess even further. "Is it... Did your mom find ou—"

 

"She still doesn't know about us," Alex assured her, huffing as she turned to sit down, patting the space next to her as an invitation for the other woman to sit as well. "It's just—This might b—" She cut herself off, searching for something to say to describe the situation with what happened between her little sister and that evil King. She could try to lie about Kara's true history and skate past the risk of the greatest kept secret of her whole life, a secret that she had drilled into her mind to never let out to anyone, or tell Maggie everything about Krypton and hope that she placed her trust and heart in the right woman's hands. Of course, Alex trusted her girlfriend with every piece of her, but this was much bigger than simple _trust._ The older Danvers made a split-second decision to say what she just couldn't ignore any longer. Secrets did not do well in a relationship, and she _really_ liked Maggie. "I'm about to tell you something that nobody else knows besides my mom and sister. Swear to me that you'll keep this a secret among only us... Please."

 

Maggie's face fell even more as the atmosphere became heavily serious around them. The pleading look in Alex's eyes worried her as she sat down with her. "You're starting to freak me out a little,"

 

"Please, Mags?" The taller one tried again, desperate to get the oppressive weight off her chest, the feeling making it a bit harder to breathe. Alex that with everything falling into place so quickly it wouldn't remain a secret for long at all.

 

The puzzled knight slowly nodded, her shoulder-length tresses bobbing slightly with it. Whatever was going on with her lover to the point she was begging, whatever was so secretive that the Danvers was stressing so much about had to be very severe, and she wanted to be there for in any way she could be. "I swear it."

 

"Okay," Alex sighed in relief that her girlfriend did what she was asked, grabbing the soldier's hand and squeezing as a show of thanks. "Alright. I—I don't know where to start." She admitted, pinching her nose with her other slightly unsteady hand, startled that she was about to do this. 

 

"Why don't you calm down first and then tell me why you attacked your bed?" She once again ventured a humorous approach to whatever secretive subject awaited.

 

The older Danvers attempted a laugh, but what came out was only a humorless huff. Nevertheless, she was grateful that Maggie tried to lighten the mood between them. Exhaling and slouching on the bed, she began. "Lex challenged Kara to combat tomorrow at dawn," She nodded along with her lover's surprised expression. "What's worse is that he placed a bet; If Kara wins then he can never enter Nationell Citi ever again, but if he wins then..." Alex paused, but the tan-skinned soldier's grip on her hand grew tighter, silently telling her to continue. "Then my mother will step down as queen. And Kara agreed."

 

"That's insane," Maggie breathed. "Your sister doesn't have the power to agree to that."

 

Another sigh left Alex's lips. She had a feeling a lot of that would be happening during their conversation. "Actually, she does." Maggie grew even more confused at her clarification, and her partner noticed. "Remember how Lionel Luthor wiped out the previous capital years ago, Krypton, making Nationell Citi the new capital?"

 

"Yes?" Her answer came out as a question, unsure how that was relevant.

 

"Well, it was decided that my father became the king by vote because no one was left at Krypton to rule the Kingdoms, then when he died my mother took over the throne in his place. So everyone knows she has the highest power, right?" Shifting slightly on the bed under Alex's intense gaze, Maggie still repeated a firm 'yes.' "But they were all wrong." The auburn-haired princess bit the inside of cheek after saying the words out loud, knowing the others would be even more difficult. "What no one else knows is that there is a stronger heir to the throne."

 

Maggie furrowed her brow, wildly puzzled. "Your saying Kara could agree to the bet because your mother isn't the queen?"

 

"Not really." Alex anxiously worried her lip in hopes that her girlfriend would connect the dots.

 

"I don't understan—"

 

"Kara isn't a Danvers. I told you was adopted when her village burned down, her family with it," Alex interjected, itching to tell her the truth but still pausing from the sadder topic, giving a little moment of silence for her younger sister and her awful past. "But that was all a coverup. What people don't know is who her real parents were. Kara was never the daughter of two random commonfolk..." She swallowed the nervous mass in her throat, taking a painfully needed deep breath and relying on the brunette's loving and supportive chestnut eyes to help give her push she needed to finally admit possibly one of the most dangerous secrets ever kept. "My sister's parents were Queen Alura and King Zor-El of Krypton...Meaning Kara is the real successor for the throne."

 

The knight's eyes widened and she gasped, visibly shocked. It was a lot to take in, and Alex could understand that. Maggie put the pieces together in her mind, gears shifting as she attempted to take in the immense mass of information. Fumbling for words, Maggie eventually swallowed and began. "W—Wait, so your sister is the only surviving soul of Krypton left, _and_ the true queen of the Seven Kingdoms?"

 

Alex nodded timidly, panicking as her girlfriend launched herself from the bed and started pacing at the foot of it. "Mags, I know it's a lot to take in, but—"

 

"Holy shit," Maggie muttered, still speeding back and forth. "This is insane!"

 

Alex huffed humorlessly. "I know."

 

"I—I mean..." The knight trailed off, covering a hand over her mouth as she quit her pacing, turning to her girlfriend with wide, shocked eyes. "That means—You're saying that Kara just got married to the daughter of her entire kingdom's killer?" Both women knew it wasn't a question, more of a horrifying statement that chilled the two of them to their very cores.

 

Alex hadn't realized how sad and crazy it sounded until she heard it out loud; her positive, friendly, and sweet younger sister was forever tied to a Luthor, a family that had been the cause of the destruction of her's. Just as Maggie had said, it was insane. Despite the growing sorrow inside of her chest, Alex nodded in confirmation. "Yes."

 

"How is—This can't be—" The brunette was at a loss for words, turning back to pacing as if it would aid in rebooting her brain.

 

"Will you please come sit back down? You're making me nervous." Alex laughed, lightening the mood tremendously.

 

Maggie eventually smiled and walked over to the bed and sat next to the auburn-haired once again. "Sorry, this is just all so..."

 

"Wild?"

 

"Absolutely," Maggie agreed. "I remember reading stories about Krypton and its culture when I was little. When word got out that it was destroyed I remember feeling bummed out that I would never get to learn more about them or see that Kingdom with my own eyes." She recalled herself as a young girl using a stick for a weapon, slashing at the trees in the woods as if the bark was an enemy's armor, or an attacking sword she would dodge clumsily and hit the wood with all her might, imagining a tall, angry man brought down to his knees by her makeshift blade. Sometimes Maggie would pretend she was a Kryptonian with legendary skills, running through the woods with the confidence that one day her dream would come true to serve Krypton and its rulers.

 

The older Danvers sighed in relief that she was calming down, no longer as freaked out as before. A small twinge in her heart flared up as she responded. "I'm sure Kara would love to tell you about Krypton. We used to stay up and talk about her home and her parents. She feared that if she didn't then she'd forget them."

 

"That must feel so lonely." Maggie sobered, eyeing their joined hands sadly. "Thank you for trusting me with this, Al."

 

The taller of the two leaned forward to connect their lips together in a short yet sweet kiss, pleasant softness quickening her heartbeat, but this time it wasn't out of dread that perhaps she shouldn't have told someone her biggest secret. "It feels so good to finally say it to somebody. I hadn't even said it out loud to myself before this."

 

The two came together again in another delightful lip-lock, enjoying the feeling of each other and being so close. Alex was about to deepen the kiss my flipping her lover over and hovering on top of her, both girls hurrying to reach a higher satisfaction before falling asleep tangled up with one another, a sudden gasp from Maggie startled the brunette out of her haze, breaking apart swiftly.

 

"Wait!" The shorter woman practically bounced on the springy mattress with suddenly barely contained excitement. "Are the rumors true that Kryptonians have powers?"

 

Alex laughed out loud at the childlike wonder in the 25-year old's chocolate brown eyes. "You interrupted our make out moment for that?"

 

Maggie rolled her eyes playfully, showing her apology by quickly pecking the older Danvers on her lips. "I'm serious! I've always wanted to know."

 

The princess shook her head and she couldn't help but smile. "Yes." She continued her explanation before Maggie could interject with more ecstatic questions. "Kara told me that the world has a yellow sun that gives her the rumored abilities, but Krypton had red sun energy in its soil, making the Kingdom's people neutral while on that land, and nobody from Krypton ever really left the place because it was so beautiful and peaceful."

 

As Alex retold her lover what her little sister had said about her, she felt a little quilty that Kara hadn't told Maggie on her own, but she was Alex's girlfriend, and keeping secrets between them could hinder their trust, therefore hindering her best relationship with anyone she'd ever had, and that was one of the last things Alex wanted.

 

"That is so cool..." Maggie flopped down onto her back, awestruck by the new tidal wave of news. "That means Lex doesn't stand a chance!" She pointed out, kicking off her boots in order to get more comfortable on Alex's bed.

 

The older Danvers was still worried about what would happen to her sister tomorrow, but she had to admit to herself that Maggie made sense. That idiot king could never defeat Kara Zor-El in combat...Right?

 

{***}

 

The next morning Kara lied awake in bed, mesmerized by the calm expression on her wife's face as she continued to sleep. It was only the first day that she and Lena were married, and somehow the blonde couldn't imagine waking up in the mornings with anybody else but the astonishingly gorgeous woman right next to her. Kara briefly smiled at the thought that no one aside from herself had never before seen the littlest Luthor like this: peaceful and so, _so_ beautiful. Being the princess of one capital to another, the Kryptonian had seen many attractive women in her life but had never been _attracted_ to anyone before she met Lena. So many men and women had great physical traits to them that made it hard to resist, but Kara knew that Lena was no ordinary woman. She wasn't just physically beautiful, but the most beautiful part about the Luthor was on the inside. She was funny, shy, charismatic, kindhearted, and stunningly good in every way, every single curve and edge. Kara could only imagine how many people hadn't cared to see that hidden side of Lena, but would forever be grateful that she was able to peel back the curtains and gaze at the genuine beauty that radiated from behind the worn and weathered fabric, frayed from years of carelessness and neglect on her family's part.

 

The smiling Kryptonian wished that she could show that light to everyone and prove them wrong, prove that Lena was the polar opposite of her brother, mother...her father as well. It was clear that Lionel and Kara certainly had a rough history because of her fallen Kingdom, but what the blonde knew that she never told anyone was what happened on that devastating day. She had seen the former king stealing the breath from her parents and watched the flames devour her home, only looking away to run for her life out of the doomed kingdom that had taken the lives of everyone she loved and held dear. It would be expected that whenever she dreamt of that frightful night and saw Lionel's murderous face that Kara wouldn't be able to stand the sight of his own daughter, but even if she could see the slight physical similarities in Lena's features, she could tell that there was not one bone or emotion in the youngest Luthor's body that resembled her wicked father. Lena was a living, breathing example that good could come from even the most wicked things.

 

Snapping back into the real world, Kara blinked away her exhaustion and snuck a glance at the continuously rising sun reaching above the tall snow-tipped mountains, indicating that was only a few hours until her duel with Lex. The massive weight returned inside of her chest as she looked back to a sleeping Lena. Kara didn't have it in her heart to awaken the peaceful woman from her slumber. If she did then she'd have to leave right after, unable to stay and properly wake up with her wife. Kara slowly shifted forward to apply a featherlight kiss to Lena's forehead and made sure to not make much noise as—against her preferences—she slid out from underneath the covers and lifted herself onto her feet, quickly slipping into more presentable clothing and fitting her swordbelt around her waist, all while keeping an eye on Lena, checking that she was still asleep.

 

Inhaling an unsteady breath, Kara gritted her teeth to forth the emotion back down her throat and quietly opened the chamber door and walking out after _just one more_ glance to the sleeping form of her wife. Right then and there, Kara made the decision that after her challenge with Lex she'd be back in Lena's arms as soon as possible. She could imagine the look of relief on both princesses faces when she defeated the miserable King, the comfort that he and Lillian could never come back to torment the couple or the kingdom. She could see it. And then she shut the door.

 

{***}

 

By the time it had reached noonday tents were already set up outside of Nationell Citi's battle arena for the two challengers for the Danvers and the Luthor to get dressed and prepared for their fight out of the heat of the bright sun in order to save their strength and stamina. Kara's heart was beating out of her chest as she listened to the crowd of the capital's civilians chatting and cheering alike, anxiously awaiting the event between their crown princess and their enemy's king. The Kryptonian stood still as one of her squires helped dress her in her armor: strong leather boots, pair of maroon pants, flexible iron gauntlets, a hauberk, and no helmet. Everything she wore was light and allowed her to move quicker and more freely than the bulky weight of most suits of armor out there and the chainmail was also well-made, giving her more protection than what met the eye. She didn't like wearing helmets as they obscured the view of her targets and she could easily dodge or block an attempted blow to the head. Kara simply put her hair back into a long braid so that her golden locks would fall around her face and hinder her sight. Over most of her chest was a red tunic that flowed down her back like a cape, decorated with the Danvers House Crest. The blonde wished that she could have it be the House of El's crest instead, but set that notion aside.

 

Once every piece was on Kara's body she was handed her sword in its scabbard. The Squire bowed lowly to her before hurrying out the tent to signal that she was ready. In truth, the blonde didn't know if she really was. If she won then the kingdom wouldn't have to suffer inviting Lex and his horrible mother into their home, and Lena wouldn't need to worry about them here, but if she lost... No. She wouldn't think like that. Even if she needed to use her Kryptonian strength to help her with whatever opponent the Luthor brother would be, she would win. For Eliza, for Alex, for all of Nationell Citi, and Lena. It only took a week of knowing each other and Kara was already risking her adopted kingdom for her. Love did strange things to her, but it wasn't unwante—Wait, _love?_ Kara did a double take from the word popping into her mind like it was the most natural thing in the world. Was it love? Her feelings for the young Luthor were definitely strong, but until just now she'd never thought about lo—

 

A loud shout from somewhere outside startled her out of her thoughts. It was her call to the arena. "The crown princess of Nationell Citi, Kara Danvers!"

 

The previous cheering grew louder, almost enough to drown out the sound of her beating heart thumping in her ears as she opened the tent flap and exited, squinting her eyes from the harsh sunlight shining down on the whole crowd. Kara put on a convincing smile and waved to her people in the stands, catching a certain woman's pair of beautiful green orbs. Lena was sitting to the left of her mother and to the left of Alex, Alex next to Eliza at the front near the high wooden walls that separated the crowd from the center of the arena. Ignoring Lillian's cold, murderous stare, she could clearly see the worry in all three sets of eyes and quickly smiled wider in hopes to help relieve their stress.

 

"And the King of Thorul, Alexander Luthor!"

 

Kara tore her gaze away from her loved ones— _again with the love. This is not the times to think about this_ —to watch her brother-in-law walk out from the opposite side of the dirt-covered ground. As expected, Lex wore full steel armor, the polished custom armor looking more expensive than the jewels on the hilt of his sword. He had the weapon in one hand and a shield in the other, the Luthor crest painted on it. He looked up with a sickening smirk at the clapping and cheering crowd, awaiting the fight between two skilled royals. The Kryptonian also noted that he was right-handed, and she was left-handed, making it just a little more difficult because it meant that both their sword sides were more exposed to each other's weapons. The tall royal reached up and pulled the helmet cover over his face, the armor now covering every bit of skin previously showing. Seeing that made her feel underdressed compared to Lex, but reassured herself by pointing out that his heavy armor would make him much slower than her and tire him out quicker.

 

As the clapping died down a little the blonde motioned with her hand to her squire, who immediately ran up to her with her shield and handed it to her. The princess quickly unsheathed her sword and gave the scabbard to him, the skinny man bowing and wishing her good luck before returning to the sidelines. Next, Kara turned around and she and Lex began to come closer to the center, staring at one another intimidatingly. Once they stood with only a few feet between them, Lex began bending a little at the knees, holding his sword and shield up at the ready. Kara mimicked him, accept swirling her blade around in her fingers expertly twice purely to taunt the wicked Luthor. For a good minute or so, they just studied each other's stance and expression.

 

"Careful, princess," Lex called out sarcastically. "It looks like you forgot half your armor."

 

She rolled her eyes at his teasing. "We're fighting to disarm one another, not battle. Do you wear all that armor because the great Alexander Luthor is afraid of a tiny scratch?" If he wanted to make fun, she'd spit it right back at him.

 

The crowd heard her words and laughed, some gasping and others glaring at her bold teasing to a king. Her words clearly dug into his skin, causing Lex to growl in rage. "You shouldn't mock people who are greater than you."

 

"Then why mock me?" She shrugged, feigning an innocent confused look.

 

That apparently pushed him just over the edge, as the Luthor King suddenly charged forward, raising his sword up to swing at her face, but Kara quickly countered the move with her shield, busying his sword arm long enough to smack the back of his chestplate with the flat end of her sword and causing him to lose balance. Different reactions came from the people at the movements. If Lex kept attacking solely from anger than the fight would be over sooner than Kara originally thought. Once Lex regained his footing he came back to her again, this time waiting for the right time to strike before doing so.

 

He found a small opening in her footwork and launched forward to jab his sword through her, but the Kryptonian's sword came in front of her in just enough time to block the attempt. Kara stayed on defense for a little while, ducking, parrying, and sidestepping his sword and shield. During his frustration from not being able to land a hit on her, Lex unintentionally left a part of his left side open near his hip. Kara saw the opportunity and swung her sword, but his blade twisted her's back down. She countered by slashing up, this time ready for their blades to clash, the sound reverberating around the arena. After Lex pushed her back the blonde twirled around and jumped at the last second, bringing her weapon down _hard_ onto his shield.

 

Thankfully the metal didn't get stuck in the wood, as she had just enough time to pull back before his sword came swinging right in front of her midsection. _A second longer and I could've been cut in half,_ Kara realized in her head. _He is faster than he looks._ The crowd also noted the near-miss, sharing mutterings of shock and excitement among themselves. The princess didn't have time to listen as she was already attacking again, using all of the 'human' strength she could muster to find a weakness in her opponent other than their short temper.

 

{***}

 

Sitting next to Alex was her new sister-in-law, both princesses watching Kara fight the younger's brother with nervous faces and hitched breaths. When a swing from Lex's sword made the blonde block it with her shield, he used his to knock her back, bringing the rounded wood up to connect harshly with her chin. The other individuals winced in sympathy for their princess, others rooting for Lex cheering him on. Lena brought a hand up to her mouth by reflex, hating the sight of her wife being hurt by her horrible brother. What really surprised her was when she felt a slightly trembling hand come over her other one which was resting on her thigh. Lena looked down at the hand, seeing that it belonged to Alex. Before anything else happened, the older Danvers spoke up.

 

"She's going to be okay," Her tone sounded firm, but wavered at the end, as if unsure.

 

Lena could tell that Alex was equally terrified for Kara. She knew that the two sisters were extremely close, but only just now saw the tough mask fade from the auburn-haired woman's face and a curtain of anxiety blanket across her angled features instead. Both women could only hope that Kara _would_ be okay, and despite their differences with one another, they both cared for the sunny blonde immensely would rather watch anything other her fighting a brutally rough Lex. All the youngest Luthor felt like she could do at the moment was also offer comfort to her, so she clutched her good-sister's hand tightly, their fingers equally shaking now.

 

"She will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I have some news. I will have to take another 2-week break because of personal events that are preventing me from writing often enough to upload every 5 days or so. I am also trying to write some one-shots and post them at some point as well as writing more full-length works.
> 
> Thank you once again for understanding, and I'm grateful for all of you who love this work.
> 
> Next Chapter: Saturday, June 15th, 2019.
> 
> -L


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for being patent with me on the update time. There is no way this story is stopping at all, don't worry. I just needed some time for personal things, and now I'm back!
> 
> Enjoy the read,  
> -L

The spot on her face where Lex's shield hit her ached, but thanks to her Kryptonian healing from the sun above, the ache swiftly turned into an irritating pressure before disappearing entirely. Refocusing herself with a quick shake of her head, eyes landing back on her target, trying hard not to look in the stands for Lena in order to see if she was alright. Pressing forward as if nothing happened, Kara flourished her sword again to stretch out her wrist and arm before lunging forward again at Lex and bringing her weapon down to his legs, not really aiming to take him out there but hoping he'd take the bait. Lex did, stepping back and bashing their shields together. Kara pushed him back with a lot of force and swung her sword up to his neck, the Luthor King having no time to block the blow.

 

The next thing she heard was Lex's helmet being knocked off his head with a painful clanging sound and falling to the ground. The Kryptonian kept swinging at his middle while he was briefly stunned, able to make a good-sized dent on the spot just below his ribs on the left side. Finally, she was getting somewhere. Eventually, Lex snapped out of it and dodged another blow, visibly outraged that his head was now exposed. He spun on skilled feet and charged at Kara, striking his weapon against her's loudly and pulled away, ducking down at her blow and lunged upward.

 

Kara looked down in shock, a blindingly sharp pain flaring in her abdomen. She gasped along with the crowd as she saw Lex's sword tear through chainmail, fabric, skin, tissue, and muscle like it was nothing, entering the left side of her stomach quite a few inches, but thankfully not enough to go out the other side. The pain was overwhelming as Lex pulled the sword out of her body, blood beginning to drip off the metal and coating the ground. The Luthor King smirked as Kara dropped her shield and grabbed at her wound, falling down to her knees in agony and using her sword as a support. Lex turned around with a smug, evil look on his revolting face, basking in the cheers from his supporters, laughing as he watched his sister scream, tears running down her face as well as the older Danvers', who was holding the youngest Luthor from jumping into the arena. The queen stared at her daughter in shock, hands clasped over her mouth. 

 

Distracted by his apparent victory, Lex didn't see Kara slowly rise to her feet again, leaving her shield on the ground but still gripping her sword with white knuckles. She had to keep going, no matter how much her body wanted to hit the floor and stay down. "Your Majesty!" She called out, fighting off the dizzy feeling threatening to wash over her. "You were supposed to disarm me, and as you can see...I am not disarmed."

 

His self-righteous smirk faded quickly into an affronted frown, surprised she was still attempting to prevail. Lex was clearly aggravated that the battle was not yet over when he thought it was. "Just give up now! You can't possibly fight me anymore and expect to win." He gestured to the growing crimson spot under the chainmail.

 

"You underestimate me," She returned with her own smirk. "That's your weakness."

 

Running forward to finally cut her down, Lex brought his blade down forcefully on the Kryptonian's, hoping to knock it out of her hand. Kara's adrenaline kicked in hard again, barely able to feel her wound as she fought back with equal strength, two hands on the hilt of her sword now instead of just one. She pushed back when he came forward, meeting his swings perfectly every time. Kara was doing this for her mother, sister, Nationell Citi, and her wife. Lex would not win as long as she remembered her motivations. It was minutes of clashing swords before Kara could see an opening. The loss of blood was beginning to take its toll on her body, and she knew that if this fight was not over soon, she wouldn't be able to pick herself up again. Focusing as well as possible, Kara stepped into Lex's space and bashed his shield a few times hard enough to break it in half and forcing him to drop it. The Luthor King struggled to put his sword in front of him because of her close proximity to him and ended up knocking his hilt against her stomach, causing her injury to bleed more, her vision starting to go in and out.

 

During her attempts to disarm him, Kara sustained a few more cuts and bruises, the worst being when Lex almost tackled her to the ground. She wiggled out of his grasp but he managed to elbow her with surprising force in her ribs. Cheers and gasps surrounded them as Kara roared, spinning around and with the littlest bit of Kryptonian strength she had left in her brought her sword down so hard that Lex's _shattered_ on impact. Kara had managed to break the King's sword into dozens of shining pieces that crumbled to the floor, the reverberations from her ridiculously hard swing too much for the sword. It was about eight inches of the blade that had shattered, leaving Lex staring at it, too shocked to notice Kara deliver the final blow: an upward swing to his broken weapon made it fly out of his gloved hand, joining the pieces of it on the dirt ground.

 

Kara won. She disarmed Lex. The Kryptonian almost screamed with relief, breathing heavily as the majority of the crowd launched out of their seats and erupted into applause that normally Kara would be pleased by, but right now the loud noise was just hurting her head. The blonde felt unsteady on her feet but endured long enough to turn to her family, trying her hardest to smile and not grimace as her entire body began to feel heavy and weak. She could see the relief and worry on Alex, Eliza, and Lena's faces. Lex didn't even bother to glance at his sneering mother before marching off the field, his squire backing away from the fuming ruler instead of helping him. Kara's squire came out to her and grabbed her wrist. She looked at him and quickly put it together that he was trying to relieve her of her sword, so she gave it to him with a nod of thanks. 

 

Not able to understand how she could still stand, Kara shakily stepped towards the broken part of Lex's sword that was still intact and bent down to grab it. She winced in pain and cradled her side as she straightened, but continued on. Kara reached out and over the wood barrier of the stands and presented the jeweled hilt to Eliza as a symbol to her queen that she had won the challenge for her Kingdom. Wrinkled hands reach out and took the hilt. Kara was just barely able to speak, her frame feeling heavier than a lead weight. "Your Majesty."

 

"Are you alright?" Alex butt in before her mother could respond.

 

Somehow, the Kryptonian knew that now the only thing she was running on was pure willpower, and her body willed her to do one last thing before giving up. Kara turned to a teary-eyed Lena, crying in relief that her wife was alive, and the blonde hated to strip her of that relief. Meeting emerald green orbs one more time, Kara leaned over a reached for Lena's shaking hand and brought it up to her mouth in a publicly appropriate kiss to her pale knuckles. As her grip on the youngest Luthor's slipped, Kara saw her blood linger on Lena's skin as she eventually fell back to the dirt, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thump. All sound and sight faded into cold, lonely darkness as the young Danvers passed out, too weak to stay conscious any longer. She was able to close her eyes knowing that she did her best and protected the people she loved. Yes, _loved._

 

{***}

 

From then on, every moment for Lena was complete chaos. One second Kara was kissing her hand tenderly after defeating her brother in combat, and the next she was dropping helplessly to the floor in front of her, the panic immediately surging through her body. As soon as Kara's hand left her's Lena shot out of her seat and practically jumped over the wooden stands with Alex following behind her, ignoring Lillian's scolding that it was unladylike and unnecessary. The youngest Luthor fell to her knees next to her wife, horror stretching across her features as her gaze landed on the large spot of red behind a torn tunic and destroyed chainmail of the blonde's hauberk. The older Danvers was soon on the other side of the unconscious Kryptonian, running her trembling hands over her sister's frame.

 

"Kar? Kara? Kara!" Alex cried out, leaning forward and inspecting the princess' bleeding wound more closely. "Oh, no, this—this is bad." Seeing how deep the injury was, her brown eyes widened and looked up to a crying Lena, not looking anywhere but Kara's face, an indescribable expression of distress and fear covered over her features. Alex hurriedly shouted for someone to help her take the blonde off the field. Both women were slightly relieved when two Nationell Citi knights sprinted over, looking almost as frightened as the silenced crowd when the auburn-haired woman shouted at them to not move her sister too much.

 

Lena felt utterly useless as she followed the three individuals carrying her injured wife out of the arena, sobbing as she remembered sitting there and watching Kara fighting Lex, looking in horror as almost half of his sword disappeared into her body, the pain in Kara's eyes haunting her thoughts. Lena wanted so badly to see the young Danvers smile at her again, but her previous conversation with the sunny blonde rang out in her mind...

 

_"Before my father died he made sure that Lex knew how to wield a sword. Not just wield it, he is the greatest fighter in Thorul."_

_"He doesn't care about rules or anything of the sort. He was once challenged by a member of his guard, you know? It was a simple fight: Who could disarm the other first."_

_"What happened?"_

_"Lex killed him, Kara." The youngest Luthor choked out, the tears threatening to fall finally doing so. "He didn't even bother to disarm him first. He just ran his sword through his stomach. I can't let him do that to you too... I cannot lose y..." She trailed off, shaking her head and covering her mouth, in fear that if she said the next words then they might come true._

 

She prayed and hoped that Kara would be alright, that she wouldn't have to remember her wife as the repeat of her brother's treacherous actions. Lena knew that to anyone else it sounded crazy because they hadn't known each other for very long, but the brunette really didn't know if she could live in a world with Kara in it, especially knowing it was by the hands of her own family that did it to such a bright young woman.

 

{***}

 

Forgetting the joy of her sister's victory, Alex threw herself into a panicked frenzy, pacing back and forth outside the door of the Doctor's Quarters with Lena leaning up against the opposite wall, a hand over her mouth and her other arm wrapped around herself, the Luthor Princess looking like she was about to collapse at any moment as her thin frame quivered with silent sobs. The older Danvers would've tried to comfort her good-sister like she had in the stands, but was aware that she was still very timid around anybody else besides Kara. She simply kept strutting back and forth, worrying so much that she swore her hair would turn grey. The rhythmic taps against the floor from her steps swept her into her thoughts.

 

Naturally, Alex knew that as a Kryptonian Kara would heal faster than normal people, but she could still suffer blood loss and infection if the wound was bad enough, and watching Lex Luthor run his sword into her little sister's abdomen wasn't just a simple bruise of cut, which was why Kara was behind the door with Dr. Stein and his assistant, Jax. Both men were cleaning and stitching the injury even if Kara could possibly be completely healed in the matter of a day because of her abilities, but Alex couldn't exactly tell them that. What made the situation worse other than the strong urge to hyperventilate was that Dr. Stein had kicked both her and Lena outside, telling them that they would need space and no one freaking out near the patient while they worked on the crown princess. It was extremely difficult knowing that her sister could be dying just feet away from her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

 

At that horrific thought, Alex's tears finally started to fall, sniffling along with Lena as she stubbornly wiped the wetness from her cheeks. The older Danvers' chest burned and ached as she kept imagining the rest of her life without her little sister. Imagining the Doctor walking out and telling her that her only sibling, her best friend was dead. No matter how hard she wanted to take that concept and throw it away, Alex couldn't shake the possibility that anything could happen. The only good thing she could think of was that Kara was a Kryptonian, meaning that she was strong on the inside and out. If the blonde didn't have such ancient powers, there was no doubt in Alex's mind that Lex's sword would've gone all the way through her stomach. _Stop thinking, you idiot!_

 

After what felt like forever to her—Which were only a few minutes in reality—Alex could hear loud, thumping footsteps bounding down the corridor. She stopped her pacing and spun around so fast she almost twisted her ankle. The small release of fear that moved throughout her body felt like a tidal wave of emotions as she saw her lover sprinting down the hallway, brunette locks flowing behind her and armor forgotten. Alex tried to meet her in the middle but was only able to take one or two steps before the knight beat her to it. The auburn-haired woman choked out a quick 'Maggie' as they enveloped each other in a crushing embrace, the taller of the two holding on for dear life.

 

"I saw what happened," Maggie began, pausing to press a hard kiss to Alex's lips. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

 

"Your here," The princess shook her head, attempting a little smile but faltered as she remembered the reason for why they were there. "That's more than enough right now."

 

Maggie gave her girlfriend one last kiss before jumping straight to the point. "How is she?"

 

Too choked up to answer, Alex could only shrug weakly and shake her head in uncertainty. She didn't how her sister was, whether they could stop the bleeding and stitch up the wound, or if the blade had hit any vital places in Kara's body.

 

"It's going to be okay. Kara's strong, you know that." She assured the panicking woman. Another figure caught Maggie's eye, turning her attention to the Luthor Princess who wasn't watching their exchange at all, just facing the door, a lost, troubled expression across her profile. Tears were streaming down her face but she did nothing to stop them from falling to the floor. She appeared to be absolutely distraught, almost unaware of anything else around her besides the knowledge that her wife was inside a different room with two men she didn't know, not knowing if she was okay. "Hey, are you alright?" Maggie hesitantly asked Lena.

 

Looking a little closer, Alex could see the younger woman had an insanely tight grip around herself, the way her chest jerked every now and then suggesting that she was having trouble breathing, silently trying to take in any bit of air she could, but some invisible thing constricting her ability to do so. Doing what she should've done the second Dr. Stein shut the door on them, Alex stepped out of Maggie's arms and slowly approached the crying brunette. Not knowing exactly how to comfort someone who she had placed as her enemy, the older woman slowly put her hand on the shaking girl's shoulder and squeezing as lightly as possible. "It's gonna—She's gonna be okay."

 

The young Luthor only nodded, still looking lost. Alex had seen many people lie and fake their emotions throughout her life, but she could tell that nobody could fake the feelings that Lena was feeling currently. The older Danvers just then realized that she wasn't the only one who worried about Kara, who cared about Kara. It was difficult to remember that her little sister was now married to this woman, even in such a short amount of time Kara had sworn to her that she knew Lena was not another Luthor, that she was kind and wonderful. She just didn't care enough to realize until it was a life or death situation regarding their favorite blonde. 

 

Thankfully the ravenette appeared to breathe a little bit easier at her comforting gesture but continued to stare holes into the door across from where she leaned on the palace wall. "She has to be," Lena whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.

 

Neither women expected the young princess to say anything, only nodding and praying along with Lena that Kara was alright. Maggie didn't know the blonde as well as the other two, but she could sympathize with them and shared their fear for a precious life. The short knight began flipping through her memories, remembering all of the research about Kryptonians and their practices in medicine. One book she could recall reading was that according to an unknown source, Kryptonians were thought to be invincible because of their rapid healing. Something just seemed a little off to her as to why Kara apparently wasn't healing as fast as she should be. Perhaps the wound was too deep, or Kara was too exhausted. But then again, it was an unknown source, which meant that Maggie couldn't confirm anything for certain.

 

Alex jumped and quickly removed her hand from Lena's shoulder as the door fo the Doctor's Quarters opened at last after what was the most painful hour of her life. Dr. Stein stepped out with his assistant, the sleeves of his white coat covered in enough blood to make all three women sick knowing where it came from. Before he could say anything to the women, Alex ran over to the men. "Is she okay? Did she—Did you—"

 

The gray-haired man butt in, bringing his arms up to the older Danvers' shoulders, gently calming her down and stopping her from trampling him to get through the door. "It was difficult to stitch her up without knowing if there was any severe internal bleeding, so at this point, all we can do is wait. But we think that she'll be alright."

 

Three sighs of relief flooded the hallway. "C—Can I see her? Please?" Lena spoke, voice breaking as she barely containing a fresh wave of tears.

 

"The princess has lost a lot of blood and has significant bruising around her ribs." His somber expression caused more panic to rise up inside of the youngest Luthor, but he quickly continued. "You may see her, but she won't be awake for a while."

 

That was all the brunette needed to hear before pushing herself off the wall with surprising strength and almost beat Alex inside, who quickly hugged both men, not caring whether a little blood got on her outfit. Maggie knew that nobody knew about her and Alex's relationship, hence why she just leaned against the outside of the door once it closed, playing it off as being concerned for her princess and guarding the space she rested in, not just as support for the other Danvers as well. 

 

"Holy shit," The auburn-haired woman cursed, barely audible.

 

Lena could see why... Kara was lying on a cot with bandages wrapped around her entire stomach and looking rather pale compared to her usually tanned skin. Her breast band covered what it needed to but they could still spot the giant bruising under between the fabric. The room smelled like copper and was very bright because of two windows opened on either side of the unconscious blonde. More tears fell from Lena and Alex's eyes at the sight of the limp woman. The Luthor Princess was the first to move, stepping over to her wife's side and seating herself on a nearby wooden chair. It wasn't comfortable by any means, but she felt better as soon as she reached out and took one of Kara's hands in her's, squeezing ever so gently. She felt as though her spouse was a fragile flower and just a little to much pressure could make her crumble.

 

Lena didn't feel like this when she lost her father. That day she had felt sad and distant, but also strangely calm at the same time. But these emotions were so much different. They hurt so much more. Lena felt pain for her new wife, sorrow after thinking she could lose the best thing to ever come upon her, and anger. Anger because of her brother and mother. Lex had been the one to cause this, challenging Kara in the first place, watching with a smug and evil expression as she bled. Lillian couldn't care less either, telling her to keep it together. How could she sit still and do nothing when the woman she loved was dying! Her 'mother' had done so many things that hurt her, but that one was near the top of her list. Even after Lionel had died, the man that _she_ loved, Lillian acted as if nothing had happened, smiling not minutes after receiving the news, knowing that her son would take the crown and throne of Thorul. She couldn't possibly know what it felt like to love somebody so much that it would kill you if that person was gone—

 

The motion of Alex coming to sit on the opposite side of Kara jerked the Luthor out of her depressing thoughts, only for another one to take over. She loved Kara. She didn't say it out loud, but it was as if a switch had flipping inside of herself, the sudden realization that her feelings for her partner had a name. _Love._ Although the situation wasn't a very good example for it, Lena felt love because of Kara. She never felt it before; such care, kindness, and affection. Then she was forced to meet a beautiful blonde with a caring, kind, and affectionate smile. She couldn't have been happier that day had happened, but she couldn't say the same for this one.

 

It was Alex that snapped her out of it again, but this time it was the sound of her sniffling quietly as she too gripped Kara's other hand. Lena felt like she was intruding on a private moment between the two. It was no secret to anybody that the Danvers sisters were very close, but the young Luthor had never seen Alex so...emotional before. Sure, at the feast the oldest Danvers would laugh and joke, and in the hallway just moments before when she embraced Maggie, that was emotion, but seeing a woman who usually glared and seemed so serious appear so broken in front of her almost broke her heart as much as watching Kara bleeding out on the ground.

 

"I'm sorry," Lena whimpered, not bothering to brush her tears away.

 

It took a second for Alex to figure out that she was speaking to her. Breaking her gaze away from her motionless sister, she looked at the young Luthor with watery eyes. "For what?" Maybe she intended for it to come out harshly, but the two words were simply laced with sadness.

 

"Lex did this. My brother. I'm sorry for that." She explained, unable to meet the older woman's gaze. Instead, she brought Kara's hand up and softly kissed her open palm, longing for the blonde to hold her again.

 

"It wasn't your fault," Alex said quietly. That was the last thing Lena had expected her to say. "You saw who's fault it was, as did I. I'm the one who should be sorry."

 

"For what?" Lena parroted, surprised by the change in behavior towards her.

 

Alex held tight to Kara's hand but sank a little deeper in her chair. She raked a hand through her hair in an attempt to calm down at the knowledge that her little sister lying there, bloody and bruised just feet away. "Kara told me since the moment you arrived here that I shouldn't judge you because of your last name. The people of Nationell Citi are hesitant to trust you because of everything with your family, and I guess I am—was too." She corrected herself, hoping Lena wouldn't notice.

 

Lena did. She would be lying if she said that her good-sister's words had touched her somehow. Even an idiot could see that Alex didn't trust her when she came to Nationell Citi and after that, but she hoped that they wouldn't have to be at odds with one another forever. "Don't you still feel that way?"

 

"I didn't think you actually cared about my sister until today." She stated, finding it within herself to shrug. "Even the evilest of people can't fake that terrifying feeling... Like when you think you're going to lose someone." Alex ended in a broken whisper, tugging her gaze away to look at Kara.

 

"You lost your father." Lena didn't mean to say it out loud, but she kept her cool, finally looking away from her wife's hand and up to the auburn-haired woman sitting opposite her.

 

Alex didn't snap at her, she didn't flare up in anger or glare. She only nodded. "So did you." She then stood from her chair and leaned above Kara, smoothing a hand over her pale forehead. She began to cry again, her lip quivering slightly as a ghost of a smile crossed her face before returning to a melancholy frown. "I cannot lose my little sister. She's too good of a person, and I want to make sure that the person she spends the rest of her life with is even half as good as her."

 

Lena held tighter to Kara's hand, bringing it up to her lips and pecking the skin there once again, watching with sadness in her eyes as the blonde's face didn't change. "I don't think I'll ever be as good as her."

 

For the first time in hours, Alex chuckled wetly, grinning even through her tears. "Same here. But all we can do is try, right?"

 

"Right." Lena agreed. She still was shaken up because of the events that had gone on today but felt a little less worried knowing that she and Alex were starting to understand one another. They sat there for hours in silence just holding Kara's hands and waiting for any sign of life other than the concerningly small rise and fall of the crown princess' chest. Lena was sure she had never cried so much in her life, but as she watched the color slowly began to return to her wife's beautiful face, the thought that _everything will be alright_ echoed in her mind, easing her pain just the smallest bit, but it was still something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Let me know what you thought in the comments, and thanks to everyone who left Kudos on this work! Also(shameless plug here), go check out my recent SuperCorp one-shot 'A Thing For Blondes And Handcuffs.' Go on over and say hi!
> 
> Also, please let me know if you would like me to name the chapters as well. I'd prefer to do whatever is better for you guys, so please don't be shy to say so.
> 
> Next Chapter: Saturday, June 22nd, 2019.
> 
> -L


	15. Chapter 15

Lena sat by Kara's side for the rest of the day and into the night, only getting up from her chair to shut the windows once it became too cold. It took a bit of arguing, but she eventually persuaded Alex to get some rest and possibly be with Maggie alone for a little. At first, the older Danvers was hesitant to leave her sister's side, but Lena was able to convince her, telling her that she would inform her immediately if anything happened to their favorite blonde. Lena was thankful to be alone for a little while to cry for her wife. She just remembered being so afraid for Kara. Watching a sword go through somebody wasn't an easy thing for her, and it hurt more that it was the woman she loved. There it was again, that word: Love. For a long time, it seemed strange that somebody would ever love her, but Lena hadn't thought about _loving someone_ until now. It made sense to her that she would feel love for Kara. Her feelings weren't just respect or kindness; they were strong and growing. Lena might have never felt love or experienced it before, but that didn't mean she would never be able to recognize it once the time came. She only feared that her emotions were shared or just one-sided. Perhaps Kara felt the same way, but Lena honestly didn't know what she would do if the Kryptonian didn't feel the same way about her.

 

Everything was just so confusing now. She hadn't slept in hours, hadn't eaten either, but still smiled knowing that if Kara knew, she'd worry over her and make sure that she rested and got something to eat. Her wife was so sweet and thoughtful, and Lena could care less about what people said about her at this point because when she was alone with Kara she felt like a valued and appreciated person. The young Luthor felt better about herself because of Kara, which was something she hadn't ever felt before. After being in Nationell Citi for a little over a week now, Lena knew that she'd be happy staying there forever and never going back to Thorul again. That place was never her home. 

 

Speaking of Nationell Citi, Lena silently rejoiced to know that Lillian and Lex could never come back to the kingdom. She felt safer that way with the knowledge that as long as she was here her mother and brother couldn't verbally and physically abuse her, but it was a shame that Kara had to be put in harm's way to accomplish that. For a moment Lena felt selfish because of that but knew that in the end, it was Kara's choice. She was eternally grateful for the blonde's actions, though. Watching the King of Thorul lose a challenge initiated by him to a princess—a skilled one—was very satisfying, to say the least.

 

When the time had reached well past midnight, Lena was starting to lose her strength, eyes growing heavier. She wanted to stay awake in case Kara broke into a fever or needed her bandages changed, but if she going to be able to help then she'd to sleep. The Luthor tried to find a decent position to rest, eventually settling for leaning forward and laying her head down softly on the side of Kara's bed right next to their joined hands. Lena reluctantly let her eyes shut and felt herself start to drift off. The brunette was only out for a few minutes before she felt a slight movement beside her. She bolted upright too fast, blinking a few times to focus her vision.  
The movement was coming from her hand and Lena looked down, hoping that maybe it would've been Kara's hand that had moved but upon closer inspection and a long silence with no other change in her wife's unconscious state, the Luthor decided that it was just her tired mind playing tricks on her.

 

Shaking away whatever had happened, Lena shifted in order to fall asleep again, but before she could even close her eyes another movement was seen in the corner of her vision: Kara's previously limp hand was twitching slightly as if trying to squeeze her hand back. Suddenly, Lena had no desire to sleep anymore as she gripped the warm hand back and watched the subtle twitches reach from her fingers to the blonde's shoulder. Pretty soon Kara began to suck in long breaths, her face scrunching up in discomfort. She was waking up! Lena stood up so quickly that the now-forgotten chair almost tipped over.

 

"Kara?" The younger princess tried, noticing the slight rasp in her voice from her dry throat. "Kara, can you hear me?"

 

It took a couple of seconds, excruciatingly long seconds, but eventually, the injured woman's stunningly blue eyes cracked open and hesitantly looked around, unsure as to where she was. For the first time in a while blue met green again, and Kara's weary expression turned into one of confusion. "L—Lena?"

 

An unexpected sob escaped the brunette, completely overjoyed that her wife had woken up, that she was alright. It was a torturous waiting game that she never wanted to play ever again. She couldn't respond quite yet, the unbelievably overwhelming feeling of relief almost knocking her knees out from underneath her.

 

Once Lena's tears began to fall, the Kryptonian was quick to bring the hand holding her wife's up to the beautiful brunette's face and wiped them away with a thumb, slower than normal because of the painful actions done to her body. "Why are y—you crying?" She asked in a whisper as if the younger woman had nothing to cry about.

 

"Oh, Kara," Lena managed to choke out, leaning into Kara's touch and placing her hand over the blonde's as she continued her gentle ministrations with her thumb. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, but Lena was glad that she could hear her spouse's soft voice once more. The concern mixed into the blonde's tone warmed her heart immensely. The silence took over the room and Lena realized that Kara was waiting for her answer, looking up at her with sparkling orbs. "I'm happy, that's why. I'm so happy you're okay."

 

Her words seemed to strike something inside of Kara, who looked herself up and down in the bed, eyeing the large bandage on her torso with surprise before remembering what had happened and quickly put the pieces together. The blonde tried to sit up in order to look around easier, but she winced as a sharp, burning sting shot up her body. Lena jumped into action, carefully helping Kara lie down flat on the cot, resting her hand on her strong chest and gently pushed her back.

 

"Don't sit up. You might tear your stitches." She warned, heart, aching at the sight of the beautiful woman in front of her in pain.

 

Kara eased back down on the bed, reflexively putting her palm over her wound. "Sorry." Her cheeks flushed, and Lena was worried about it being a fever or something, but the woman's next sentence confirmed why. "I didn't realize until now my...state of...undress."

 

Lena couldn't help but lightly chuckle at her words. Even just hours before bleeding to death on a random cot in a random room, Kara was still making her smile and laugh as if nothing was wrong at all. Nevertheless, she glanced up and down over her wife's body again. Her muscular shoulders and arms were visible in the light of a single candle across from the two on a medicine table, and Lena couldn't help but admit that Kara was _very_ attractive underneath her usual shirts and suits. Between the fabric covering her breasts and the white bandages was the same tanned skin as the rest of the blonde's body that the Luthor could see. 

 

Snapping out of her little moment of...admiring her spouse, Lena quickly spoke up. "I can find you a tunic if you want." She suggested, removing her hands and hurriedly wiped off the rest of her tears. The heiress turned to search for the article of clothing, but a surprisingly firm grip on her wrist stopped her.

 

"Stay with me." Kara pleaded, entwining their fingers together and both women marvel to themselves at the perfect fit. "When I look at you it doesn't hurt as much. You are a very beautiful woman." Her groggy voice sounded clear and true, instantly making Lena's heart beat a little faster.

 

Deeply flattered, the youngest Luthor blushed and smiled. She had no idea kind of enchantment Kara had cast upon her, but she didn't mind it at all. She'd be an idiot to not melt at the blonde's absolute charm and ability to make her smile in such a fearful situation. "I think you might've hit your head a little too hard," She joked, but her wife turned surprisingly serious the second she finished.

 

"I'm not lying," The youngest Danvers clarified, looking almost offended at what her spouse had said. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I could've gotten my head hit ten times worse and would still see it. Lena Luthor is gorgeous, and if it's somehow possible, she'd be more gorgeous when she realizes that she is."

 

Lena was shocked. It was like Kara had taken a wrecking ball to her wall of insecurities that had built up over the years because of her mother. At dinner when Lillian was watching her like a hawk, still trying to control how much she ate from a distance, the blonde had so easily shared her dessert and didn't care about what the older Luthor thought. In the times that Kara had told her she was beautiful, Lena never knew what exactly to say. A simple 'thank you' wouldn't suffice for a person who made her feel like a goddess amongst the rest of the world. The incredibly strong urge to kiss the woman lying in front of her became extremely intense and soon found herself leaning down further into Kara's space.

 

"How are you so perfect?" The brunette beamed as her wife got the same idea, gathering the strength to pull Lena down by her dress and connect their lips sweetly yet urgently. Both women silently swore that they might never get used to the warm sensation that ran through their frames whenever they collided, pressing delicate or hard kisses to each other's deliciously smooth, full lips. "So perfect," Lena whispered into Kara's parted mouth before allowing her wife's tongue to trace her lips softly, the feeling of her tongue inside her mouth, tasting and feeling and just being in the moment felt better than anything she'd ever experienced in her whole 20 years of life.

 

Neither women were sure as to who broke the kiss first, but once it was, they rested their foreheads on one another's. "Can you feel that?" Kara suddenly asked.

 

Being confused and slightly intoxicated from the passionate embrace, Lena furrowed her brow just a little. "Feel what?"

 

"This...closeness," Kara gestured clumsily between themselves, breath quickening just a little. "Like nothing else matters."

 

Just like that, Lena's eyes began to fill with tears again. She had her hopes, but now it was confirmed that she wasn't dreaming when she felt the connection to the blonde that was undeniably strong given their short time together and situation as royals forced to unite, although the princess' feeling was nothing forced at all. It didn't take long for Kara and Lena to be able to see eye to eye and find common ground, and eventually a greater affection for each other. 

 

"Yes," Lena didn't hesitate any longer to verify her wife's words. "I've felt it since...since the beginning."

 

The blonde kept her gaze on the brunette's watery green eyes as the woman lifted her head and shyly smiled, worried about the response to her revelation. Luckily Kara was quick to comfort her with a hand on the youngest Luthor's pale cheek. "I have too."

 

Lena wanted so badly to close the little space between their lips, but before she could do anything else but try and steady the rapid beating of her full heart, Kara tried again to sit up and failed, grimacing and releasing a quiet, pained whimper. "Darling, please," Lena didn't even notice the name slip out amongst her returned panic that the woman would hurt herself.

 

"I have to stand." The Kryptonian was suddenly very serious, looking up into her wife's stunning sea of emerald with a pleading expression.

 

"You must rest, Kara!" Lena warned, not wanting to push her back down in fear that it would jostle another injury hidden under bandages.

 

The younger Danvers mustered enough determination to swing her legs over the side of the stiff bed but knew she wouldn't be able to make it the rest of the way without assistance. "Help me?" She asked, putting her arm out for Lena pull her upright.

 

"Why do you have to—"

 

"Because I want to tell you something, and I don't want to do it lying in a sickbed." Kara interrupted her spouse, tone firm and imploring all at once.

 

Seeing no point in trying to talk the blonde out of her plan, Lena anxiously grabbed the warm hand and slowly pulled Kara up, watching closely and wincing along with the blonde in sympathy whenever the movement strained her wounds, the whole time urging her to be careful and muttering apologize for no apparent reason. Once Kara finally stood tall on her feet, looking a little shaken and exhausted, Lena still wouldn't let go of the blonde's hands, imagining her injured wife tumbling to the floor because of the lack of support. She was still confused as to why Kara had to stand, but thankfully the older princess began to speak as soon as she was able to catch her breath. "Thank you."

 

"Of course," Lena replied, finding herself having to support a lot of Kara's weight as her knees weakened. A new worry popped into her mind, and she didn't want to wait anymore. "What do you need to say, because I'm not a doctor but I don't think you should be—"

 

"For the past eleven years," Kara began, cutting off her wife's rather adorable rambling with a gentle squeeze to her hands. "I've felt confused. When my parents died I was confused as to why I was spared and brought to a wonderful family who loves me very much. Ever since I was accepted into the Danvers Kingdom as one of their own I have been shown nothing but kindness and respect... I found what it felt like to be loved by a sibling and another mother and father."

 

The littlest Luthor found it in herself to push her concern away for a moment and listen to what the blonde was trying to say. The topic of her parents' death wasn't easy to talk about, so Lena simply nodded somberly along, searching for Kara's point in bringing up her childhood.

 

"But it wasn't until I got to know Lena Luthor: a brilliant, beautiful, and misunderstood goddess among women that I realized what it felt like to be _this close_ with another person." Kara had to fight to not slump against the beautiful brunette in front of her, the Kryptonian losing her strength almost as quickly as it came. Nevertheless, she pushed aside the dizzy feeling by staring only into Lena's captivating, sparkling green eyes and continued, her voice now shaky. "I was confused for so long, but now I'm not anymore. The feelings that I have been clearer than ever. I love Lena Luthor, my wife. I love you."

 

Lena's entire body flooded with emotion, from the tips of her feet to the ends of her hair. She had never known what love felt like before growing up with her family. During all those years of abuse, Lillian had convinced her that the treatment what exactly what she deserved. Kara had just told Lena that she loved her, but still, those thoughts entered her mind despite trying her hardest to block them out. _You wonder why nobody loves you, bastard,_ Lillian's voice hissed, the memories flashing of herself younger, flinching as her 'mother' scowled down at her. _You want love? Why waste it on you? You're worthless, and worthless people don't deserve love! Get that through your stupid skull, if you can even find a brain in there!_

 

Cursing herself for crying again, Lena closed her eyes and looked down in shame. A warm hand on her pale cheek made her open them again, finding her beautiful wife desperately trying to meet her gaze, a concerned frown stretched across her lovely face. "Hey, what's wrong? I—Was that too soon? I didn't mean to upset—"

 

"Do you mean that?" Lena whispered, interrupting the blonde before she could worry that she had done anything wrong. _It's always me._

 

"That I love you?" Kara questioned, still worried about the sudden wave of tears that kept the brunette from seeing clearly. When Lena nodded shyly, a crimson blush covering her cheeks in embarrassment, the Kryptonian set aside her physical pain to help her hurting wife. "Yes. I don't think I'll ever _not_ mean it. I do love you," Damn, that felt amazing to say. "Very much."

 

There was something about the truthful gleam in Kara's glacier-blue eyes and gorgeous, loving smile that showed clear as the most valuable crystal in all the Seven Kingdoms that made Lena believe her words. Trust was extremely difficult for her to do, for any Luthor to do, and somehow Kara was able to break down those walls that blocked Lena from allowing herself to be open, to feel. "I—I love you, too." Lena had never told anyone that she loved them before, and saying those four words meant the whole world to her. She loved Kara with every piece of her, even if it wasn't much to give to a woman who deserved so much more. "I do. Really." She sounded out of breath but couldn't care less because _she loved Kara and Kara loved her back_ —

 

"Lena," Kara's tired, hoarse voice cut through her thoughts like a hot knife. She could see how the blonde's smile drooped slightly, her hands no longer gripping her's tight like a few moments ago. "I—I can't—"

 

Suddenly, the way that Kara began to wince and grab at her side, the bandage no longer perfectly white as a small, red spot started to grow on the injured woman's abdomen, it all reminded Lena of when she saw her wife drop to the floor of the dusty arena after fighting Lex, the strength leaving her body and red pooling around her limp frame. It was a thought that left her in shivers. Lena's eyes bugged out when she saw the blood soaking through the gauze and coating her own hand as she placed it over the spot as if hoping it would stay inside. "Kara! Your stitches!"

 

"It's okay, I just need—"

 

"Kara, I have to get someone," Lena stated, the worry for her loved one taking over and making her tone shake slightly. She didn't want to leave Kara's to find Dr. Stein or perhaps Alex.

 

After a pregnant silence, the blonde nodded slowly, her pain easing just a little as Lena led her carefully back down onto the cot and urged her to relax. "You're very pretty like that," Kara thought out loud, making Lena's expression form into one of confusion once again.

 

"Like what?"

 

"In the candlelight," Kara said as if it was obvious. "The way you just seem t—to shine."

 

Lena was currently standing at the side of the bed, hand still covering the Kryptonian's wound protectively as she looked down at Kara with the most stunning green eyes in all the Seven Kingdoms. She didn't need to check and see if she was blushing to know that the dust of crimson on her cheeks was there. This woman before her was by far the kindest person she had ever met, and even as Kara's vision began to blur slightly from exhaustion, she could still make a beautiful head of raven hair and a calm, soft voice that she loved so much whispering to her. "Just rest love, I'll be right here."

 

As much as Kara wanted to keep gazing at her beautiful wife, her heavy eyes had no choice but to shut. Luckily she mustered up enough strength to kiss the lips that were on her's back, and for just a second, Kara felt safe inside the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how it went!
> 
> Next Chapter: Sunday, June 30th, 2019.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning Alex was dressed neatly in a dark colored suit and classic sword at her side, arms behind her back as she entered her mother's chambers, waiting until the palace servant closed the door until stepping further inside. "Mother," She hesitated, watching the way Eliza stared at the unlit fireplace from her seat across from it, her expression blank. The older woman didn't seem to hear her, so Alex tried again. "Mother?"

 

"Alex, honey," Eliza jolted out of her little spell, sitting up straighter in her chair and turned to her oldest daughter. Right away the auburn-haired woman could see the tried tear tracks running down the sides of the queen's, her eyes heavy and a weak smile making them wrinkle slightly. "What is the news on Kara?"

 

The oldest Danvers sister could hear the worry in her mother's tongue that the mention of her adopted daughter that was most likely responsible for her tears. "The doctor was able to stitch her up, but at some point, during the night her wound opened again. She should heal fast." Quick to ease Eliza's growing concern, Alex continued. "Princess Luthor hasn't left her side."

 

Surprisingly, a hint of a smile appeared on the Queen's features. "I suspected as such."

 

"What do you mean?" Alex made herself a little more comfortable in the spacious room by taking a seat next to her mother.

 

"Please, honey," Some of the tension disappeared from Eliza's face as she explained. "I was her and Kara at the feast. You would think they had feelings for each other far longer than a few days. You know, Kara looks at that princess the way I used to look at your father."

 

Alex couldn't help but bring her lips into sad, yet genuine curl upward at the memory of her beloved father, how Jeremiah _did_ look at Eliza the way her little sister did to the youngest Luthor. "Doesn't that scare you a little?" The question popped into Alex's mind suddenly. "Kara is so young, and I worry that she's not thinking clearly when it comes to the Luthor."

 

"They're both very young," Eliza pointed out, sighing as she relaxed into her cushioned chair, her daughter leaning forward instead and resting her elbows on her knees as her hands folded together. "It's not easy to distinguish what is love and what isn't when you haven't experienced it before, but I believe that both Kara and Lena know what they're doing."

 

Furrowing her brows in half confusion, half frustration, Alex unintentionally raised her voice the slightest and pushed down the urge to tilt her head. "How do know, mother? I don't mean any offense to my sister, but Kara has always been quick to trust people, and with everything that happened between..." Alex lowered her voice, used to the secrecy. "...her family and the Luthors, I find it hard to believe that she just doesn't care about all of it."

 

Eliza simply nodded and listened to her oldest daughter, waiting patiently like the royal she was until she was done before beginning. "It is because of Kara's heart that she's able to accept Lena into it. Yes, Lionel Luthor committed a horrible crime that your sister must live with, but Kara should know better than anyone that Lena had no control over what happened to Krypton."

 

The auburn-haired princess flexed her jaw muscles, knowing that her mother was correct. Lena was only a child during the destruction of Krypton, as was Kara. She could only imagine the pain that Kara lived with, the weight of a once powerful, now dead kingdom on her shoulders, the woman she slept next to being the descendant of the despicable man that wiped out the Kryptonian's whole nation, her entire race. 

 

"Perhaps the Lady Luthor could also use a strong person in her life like Kara to comfort her about the complicated past between both of them." Eliza's tone was full of sorrow, but also wisdom that Alex greatly admired. "Despite the unfortunate circumstances, I have faith that this marriage was better for those two. Wounds need to heal, and in many ways, Lena and Kara share a similar pain, an achingly deep wound that just so happens to be connected by several years of loss and longing."

 

Exhaling loudly and finally easing further into the soft, lavish chair, Alex ran a hand through her short locks and allowed a tight smile to grace her angled features. "Sometimes I hate it when you're right."

 

"Is that any way to speak to your queen?" Eliza teased, shaking her head as the younger woman rolled her eyes.

 

"Honestly, though, Kara as a married woman?" Alex kept on with the humorous atmosphere, enjoying being able to feel slightly more care-free after hours of nail-biting and tears. "That's hard to imagine."

 

Nationell Citi's queen genuinely chuckled in her seat, shoulders shaking a little with the force of her laugh. "I will admit, I never thought about. It's still a little difficult to wrap my brain around it. I knew you had attractions to the opposite sex, but I never saw it in Kara."

 

At her mother's words, Alex's eyes grew 3 times in size, the grin on her face dropping instantly. _I knew you had attractions to the opposite sex?!_ The oldest Danvers sibling gasped, her heart rate escalating. Did she know about Maggie? "What—I don't know what you..."

 

Alex trailed off as Eliza offered a kind grin, leaning forward and grasping both of her daughter's hands in her's. "Oh, my beautiful girl. I love you so much, and because I love you I also know who you are. When you're a mother you just know, my only hope was that you would tell me in your own time."

 

"I was going to," Alex defended herself with a lighthearted roll of her eyes. She did not imagine this conversation when she walked into these chambers, but at least some of Alex's worry fizzled away at the heartwarmingly strong look of support coming from her mom. Although, she still didn't know if her mother knew about Magg—

 

Eliza's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "... and when you find that someone, I'll accept that they make my daughter happy."

 

Alex was secretly relieved that Eliza hadn't discovered her relationship with the tan-skinned soldier like Kara had so early on. She was also relieved that her mother was so accepting of the concept that when the older princess brought someone home whom she loved, Eliza would welcome them with open arms. Looking back on it, Alex felt slightly foolish for ever thinking that her mother wouldn't receive the news about her daughter's sexuality so kindly.

 

"That means a lot, mother. Thank you." Alex closed her eyes and sighed happily as Eliza came forward and kissed her child on her forehead.

 

The Queen scoffed, the sound clearly filled with emotion and not annoyance. "Of course, my brave girl."

 

{***}

 

Waking up on top of a flat, thin mattress instead of her usually soft bed was semi-uncomfortable, but it wasn't the first time Kara had been in the Doctor's Quarters for slashes and bruises. The light-headedness, tired eyes, and the stinging sensation that ran up and down her abdomen didn't help by any means. Kara tried to adjust herself on the uncomfortable surface, her body somewhat stiff from not moving in a couple of hours. She ignored the ache in her stomach and the stretch of her fresh stitches as the blonde attempted to sit up, but stopped as she suddenly felt a comforting weight pressing on her hip. She looked down and waited a few seconds for her vision to focus on the familiar head of midnight black hair. Because of her movement, the ravenette began to stir in her sleep, turning her head to face Kara and slowly opening those striking green orbs, the bright emerald color standing out amongst the white sheets and bandages covering her torso.

 

Kara felt guilty for waking Lena up. It touched her heart that her wife was worrying over her, but the guilt was because of the thought of Lena tiring herself over the stress of what had happened to Kara the previous day.

 

"Darling, you're up." Lena smiled softly, voice slightly slurred due to being woken from her slumber.

 

Heat rose to the Kryptonian's cheeks at the sound of her wife calling her the term of endearment. Unfortunately, Lena saw her blush at mistook it for a harmful flush in her temperature and quickly stood and pressed the palm of her hand to the blonde's forehead, concern flashing in her eyes. "Are you feeling alright? It looks like you might have the beginnings of a fever."

 

Kara could only laugh quietly as to not jar her injury and ready herself for the confused look on Lena's face before explaining her sudden outburst. "I'm just...flattered, Lena, that's all."

 

"Because I called you darling?" The youngest Luthor questioned, the tiny smile and blush of her own betraying the puzzlement in her tone.

 

"That, and the fact that you're hand is dangerously close to my breast," Kara stated boldly, smirking when both women looked down at the same time to where Lena's hand rest just in the center of her chest, pushing down just enough that Kara could feel the warmth through the fabric on her breast band.. If it was only a little to the left she'd definitely be cupping her bust.

 

Lena immediately wanked her hand away, attempting to calm the heat rising up her neck by laughing nervously and biting her lip subconsciously for a brief moment. "My apologize, Darling." She didn't say anything, but the blonde instantly missed the contact of her spouse's warm hand on her.

 

Gosh, Kara was never going to get over that, and judging by the look on her wife's face, Lena wouldn't forget it either. Not that they were complaining. By that point, both princesses had given up on fighting off their equally strong blushes. Unfortunately, their happiness didn't last too long before Kara's mind started to wander off the beaten path just a bit.

 

"How long have you been in this room? That's the same dress I saw you in at the arena."

 

Glancing down at her own apparel, Lena shrugged. "I didn't want to leave your side in case you woke up." She continued even through the intense heat that crept up to her face and ears under the softened look from the adorable woman in front of her. "Alex waited for the doctors to stitch you up with me yesterday. She sat down for a little while to make sure you were alright, but you weren't awake, so she left after saying her goodbye's to us both."

 

"Alex talked with you?" Kara covered up her concern with curiosity. She loved her sister with all of her heart, but she knew that when Alex slipped into her protective-older-sister attitude, she could get quite riled up. It didn't help that Alex had a deep hatred for Luthors, not unlike many people in the Seven Kingdoms.

 

"Yes. Your sister was surprising..." Lena trailed off, thinking back to her conversation with the Oldest Danvers sibling the previous day.

 

Knowing that Kara would want to hear about what had happened between her sister and wife while unconscious, Lena pulled the familiar wooden chair close to the edge of the injured blonde's cot and sat. "How so?"

 

"Well, she admitted that after a while, she knew that I really do care about you, and she was sorry for judging me because of my family's actions and not my own." Lena gladly reached for the Kryptonian's extended hand and held it tight as she recounted her memories of yesterday. "Alex loves you so much, so it only makes sense that she's so protective of you. Personally, I think her behavior towards me when we met was because...It can't be easy for someone to wrap their heads around how deeply we feeling for one another in the span of days," She paused to bring Kara's hand up to her lips and press a feather-light kiss to her knuckles. "And you're both so close. I may never understand what that feels like, but I can understand how hard it is to hate having things change."

 

The caring blonde switched from letting Lena hold her hand, to holding the brunette's instead, running her thumb slowly across her smooth, pale skin. "You're right. Change isn't easy at first. It hurts, and it's stressful, and to Alex, I believe that she accepted the truth that you aren't wicked or harmful," She smiled so softly that Lena felt like she could melt into her seat. "You're just changing things a little for us, and that doesn't mean that it's in a bad way."

 

The youngest Luthor's heart was bursting with love for Kara; the only person that she knew could understand her nervousness, thoughts, and emotions without a shadow of a doubt, the only woman that could make her feel so wanted and _needed_ in this world. The ravenette couldn't help but beam under the sweet and tender gaze of Kara... _Her Kara._

 

Lena was about to come close and kiss her wife on the lips, an action she so desperately wanted to do; close that gap between them and bring herself even closer. Sadly, Lena stopped and jumped back in fright from the loud sound of the Doctor's Quarters' door swung open by the hands of an unknown person to Lena's eyes, a man that looked like a guard with his chest plate, but the way that the man's face shown with worry and possibly even sweat because of it surely gave the young heiress a sinking feeling that went straight to her stomach.

 

"Your Graces, I'm gravely sorry to interrupt you, but I was told by King Luthor to fetch his sister..." Kara and Lena looked between each other briefly as the man caught his breath. It couldn't be easy to run from one end of the castle to another in quite a few pounds of chainmail. The man turned to Lena, who cast her eyes "His Majesty has insisted that he will not leave the kingdom until he says goodbye to you."

 

The young brunette worried her bottom lip, nodded thankfully to the man and watched the door shut once more. She didn't want to see her brother, but if not, then Lex most likely wouldn't uphold his end of the challenge without a fight. The pleasant sensation of Kara holding her hand disappeared, and Lena looked over to see her wife trying to sit up by herself, very close to succeeding.

 

Before Lena could ask what her motivations were for almost tearing her stitches again, Kara spoke with a slight tremor of pain in her voice. "I'll go with you."

 

"What? No!" The raven-haired woman protested. "You can't risk—"

 

"I can't risk him hurting you again," Kara stated, raising her voice. "I will not let you go alone."

 

"I can bring a guard, Kara!" The youngest Luthor fought, trying to win her spouse over and convince her to rest longer.

 

Unfortunately, the blonde Kryptonian didn't waver, narrowing her eyes in a way that somehow wasn't threatening, but was still firm and determined. "Lena, I am getting out of this cot either without or with your help, and I would kindly suggest the latter."

 

The brunette scoffed half-heartedly, closing her eyes for a few seconds in frustration. Of course, her wife would want to accompany her to see Lena's sloppy dolt of a brother, and the instinct that Kara possessed to want to protect her loved ones was a beautiful trait for a beautiful woman, but at the same time, Lena was just worried about the young Danvers' safety. If Lex tried to pull something before fleeing the city, Lena would much rather have something happen to herself rather than Kara. Nevertheless, it became clear after a long stare-down between the two heiresses that her wife's fiery spirit could not be contained in this situation, no matter what she said to attempt to persuade Kara otherwise.

 

Rolling her eyes and clenching her jaw, Lena finally articulated a half annoyed and half proud response. "Fine. Let me help you with your tunic and boots."

 

After a solid two minutes of _very carefully_ aiding Kara through putting on a pair of boots conveniently waiting to be worn inside a dresser drawer, also helping Kara by slipping a shirt over her head and arms to cover the blonde's chest and massive bandage;this time the injured woman didn't tear her stitches, much to Lena's delight and relief when she checked just once to find an absence of fresh blood. As soon as she was dressed, Kara gratefully smiled and lightly kiss the corner of Lena's mouth, then holding her hands out for the brunette grab so Kara could stand.

 

"Are you sure about this? Something could—"

 

"I'm sure." Kara nodded, grinning from ear to ear in hopes to assure her partner that she felt alright, save for the light throbbing in her side that was a painful reminder for the Kryptonian to be careful and take it slow.

 

The blonde was proud of herself for only flinching one time when her body tried to shift in a way that her wound didn't agree with. She was excited to be on her own feet for the first time in hours. Somehow, her joy spread to Lena, who was smiling as well, keeping a steady hand on Kara's strong bicep. "Thank you." The Danvers whispered quietly, surprising herself as well as the woman in front of her by stepping forward with Lena's arm wrapped around her's supportively. Each soft step that Kara took out the door of the Doctor's Quarters became less and less shaky, and soon the blonde was confident enough to move a little faster, the ache in her abdomen fading into an uncomfortable pull every now and then as she picked up her feet and let them meet the ground, eventually picking up a rhythm.

 

With Kara's help regarding directions, Lena was able to find an exit out of the castle and a path that would let them to the courtyard, where her brother and mother would be waiting. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, looking the blonde up and down, watching for any signs of hiding her pain or limping.

 

"Yes, I promise," Kara replied without hesitation. She was walking much faster, sensing the warmth of the sun shining down upon them. The Kryptonian didn't feel her wound healing under the bright rays, probably from the layers of fabric separating her skin from the light of the day-star.

 

As they passed a guarded entrance to the front of the palace Kara smiled politely at the two stunned soldiers, surprised to see their princess awake and walking so soon. They let the married couple through after wishing the princesses a good day. Kara and Lena continued on the path to the courtyard, eventually coming around a corner to the open area. Sure enough, Lena saw Lex and Lillian waiting with angry looks on their faces in front of a black carriage, Luthor guards standing stiffly next to their rulers. The King very quickly found his sister and sighed, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

 

"Finally! I swear, Lena, Nationell Citi has done something to you. Why must you always be so late, sister?" He glared, rolling his eyes when the youngest Luthor held tighter to Kara's arm, much to the blonde's dismay.

 

"She was with me," Kara said before Lena could do anything, sweeping in to try and take some of the nervousness away, their heels clicking on the cobblestone as they reluctantly approached. "We were just enjoying a moment alone after—"

 

The Kryptonian was interrupted by the pompous king's mother. "Oh, please. It's not like you have a love for my daughter." She spat out, also rolling her eyes at the way Lena carried herself around her wicked family.

 

"Actually, I do, Your Grace." Kara felt bold, puffing out her chest just enough that it wouldn't hurt her torso.

 

Both princesses were met with a disgusted look on the older woman's face. They knew Lillian would oppose any feelings that they had for each other unless it was hatred or contempt. That much was clear by her next words. "Wonderful, my daughter is _in love_ with a woman who now has to do all of the conversing for her." She mocked, a quiet but noticeable huff of agreement coming from one of the Luthor soldiers.

 

The young Danvers' ears burned with barely concealed anger. How dare they ridicule her wife to her face, and how dare they mock their feelings for one another. Kara opened her mouth to spit something back at them, but turned in surprise when she heard Lena's voice sound.

 

"I am not your daughter. I am Kara's wife." She looked dignified, knowing that Lex and Lillian wouldn't dare touch her in front of Nationell Citi's princess and guards that stood somewhere near the palace doors.

 

The evil woman's eyes widened and scrunched up her nose in rage. She hadn't expected Lena to talk back again after what happened in her son's chambers. Suddenly, her 'daughter's' words set inside of her that she no longer had power over her like before, and that felt infuriating. Kara, however, was grinned with pride that her wife was brave enough to do one of her worst fears; face her awful family with the worry of being beaten down with curses or fists.

 

"Careful now," Lex asked, a smirk rising in his hard eyes, the foolish king's voice cold and nasty. He then met his gaze with Kara's equally challenging expression. "I do hope that you'll remind my sister who, or rather what she is in the future if she tries to raise her voice like that again."

 

 _The nerve of this stupid deadhead of a man,_ Kara thought. _I should've fought him to the death._ The blonde could see Lena's confidence dwindle once more, her grip tightening on her arm and green eyes shining not as proud as before. She hated the way this conversation was making Lena feel. Kara just wanted to make everything disappear and tell her partner that all was okay, that she'd never have to feel so defeated ever again. Working hard to contain her anger for too long finally made Kara flip a switch. She took two large steps close to Lex, letting Lena stay behind her, the younger women making a worried sound as the injured girl now had no one to support her wounded side.

 

"I will remind my wife that her opinions matter because she is more intelligent than you could ever be." She took joy in the genuinely offended look on the bald idiot's ugly face. "I will remind her every that she is the only hope your stupid kingdom has if it wants to survive. I love Lena, and if both of you would have set aside your own selfish attitudes when she was a child then you would've seen what an elegant and beautiful person she has grown to become! You are no longer welcome in the Capital..." Kara could care less that she was almost inches away from the most dangerous kingdom's ruler. He looked so much like Lionel, and that just made her more furious. Steeling herself after a moment of staring daggers into both Lex and Lillian's brown-green eyes, she swallowed silently and eventually said the words she was just _dying_ say. "Now get out of my kingdom."

 

Thankfully, Lex didn't retort anything back to her, only holding her stare of a few more seconds before breaking away signaling for one of his shocked guards to open the coach's door for both him and his mother. Kara watched as the Luthors climb inside the horse-drawn carriage, Lillian first, then her son. Before giving the word for the driver to go, the Luthor King looked down at his enemy and smirked wickedly. "I do hope we meet again. Perhaps in my dungeon where Lena's mother's bones still lie in rot. Well, except for her head, but you're welcome to see that as well." He then nodded and looked away as the carriage rode away loudly over the cobblestone and eventually out the main gateway into Nationell Citi.

 

Kara turned around a little too fast, the only visible sign of pain being the hand she lifted up to cover her wound over her tunic. Her piercing blue optics clashed with watery green one's, rivers of silent tears raging down Lena's pale skin like a waterfall. She knew that the topic of Lena's real mother was not one to be taken lightly, and it killed Kara to see her wife so torn, so distraught. "Lena? Are you alright? I'm so sorry he said that."

 

The youngest Luthor shook her head and shrugged helplessly. "I think that went better than I originally thought," She whispered, attempting a joke, yet she couldn't bring herself to really try at all.

 

"Do you need me to do anything? I shouldn't have riled him up like that."

 

"It doesn't take much." Lena sniffled, wiping away her flowing tears with her thumb. "I appreciated you standing up for me. I think otherwise I would've let them continue..." She trailed off, the image of her biological mother's flesh being eaten off her bones behind dirty metal bars of her previous home making her want to empty the contents of her stomach right in the middle of the courtyard, but kept herself together long enough to get out one last sentence. "Is it too much to want to go back to our chambers?"

 

Kara sighed sadly, wanting so badly to get rid of her wife's sorrow and pain as quick as possible. Right now, all she could do was be by her side like Lena was for her when she laid unconscious for hours; not leaving, not moving from her side. Lena was so kind that it sometimes caused a dull ache in the Kryptonian's chest whenever she thought about it. "Of course we can."

 

Accepting the answer gratefully, Lena shyly walked forward and linked arms with her spouse again, longing to just be closer to the warm being next to her. They let each other back out the way they came, too focused on not breaking down further or shedding more tears to even muster up the voice to wish the guards a good day, only able to grasp onto Kara's body with relief that they were both physically intact after the confrontation with Lex and Lillian, the knowledge that by dusk her family would be miles away from her giving Lena a tiny bit of satisfaction, but not enough to fix the sinking feeling in her stomach. Sometime along their slow walk inside, Kara bent down to kiss her temple, and it scared Lena she almost didn't feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will not have the time or resources to write for about a month, due to personal events, so I will update this note when I know the posting date of the next chapter. Thank you for reading, and as always, I will see you soon.
> 
> -L
> 
> Next Chapter: Saturday, August 31st, 2019.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M rated chapter for nudity, although not graphically explained, it is still present. If you are not interested in reading it, just skip to the last few paragraphs of this chapter. Also, I did not have time to proofread, so any mistakes are my own. Thank you,
> 
> -L

Walking inside her and Lena's shared bedroom and locking the door... the air felt awkward and heavy. Every step that Kara took felt like she was walking on eggshells; afraid of somehow making the wrong move. What Lex had said to his sister obviously wasn't something that a person could just shrug off and pretend it never happened, and it deeply concerned the Kryptonian that with every second of silence, her wife could be running his words over and over in her mind. Kara ached to take Lex's words away, take Lena's pain away, but right now as she stood at the foot of her bed, the brunette facing the other direction to the open windows, Kara felt as though she couldn't do anything to sooth Lena's internal wounds. What could she even say to the young Luthor in hopes of breaking the silence? There were many times when Kara felt as though she didn't... fit in somewhere, and although she felt at home with her new wife the Kryptonian couldn't help but sense that the uneasy atmosphere began to weigh down on her the longer she didn't speak up.

 

For what felt like an eternity Lena just stared out. Away. It was understandable that the only place she could look at into space. When Kara closed her eyes she could still sometimes see the image of her parents bodies bleeding out on her home's soil, and the smoke of Krypton as its people went up in flames. Of course, the body of Lena's headless mother decaying inside of a prison cell couldn't have been any better. Up until a week ago, Kara would relive the horrible things that had happened to her in her childhood, and even now in the Nationell Citi Military, but now they weren't so frequent. Now, Kara could close her eyes and see Lena's beautiful eyes looking into her's, the smoothness of her lips and soft, pale skin of her body that she wished one day she could see more of.

 

The thought made heat immediately rise to her cheeks, the blonde self-consciously ducking her head to hide it, despite the only other person in the room not currently looking at her. Kara wished that Lena would say something; anything. She couldn't help her wife if she never told her a way she could do so.

 

As if she said her thoughts out loud, Lena slowly turned around, sheepishly picking at the sleeves of her dress. The young Danvers could see from where she stood that Lena was trembling, looking a little unsure on her feet. She longed to reach out and ask if the young Luthor was alright even if she already knew the answer, but somehow, Kara couldn't seem to find any words to say.

 

"I...um, I'm sorry you had to hear all of that." Lena apologized, avoiding her wife's gaze.

 

Kara held back a whimper of sympathy for her. "No, I'm sorry. I should've thrown him in the carriage by his ears the second he opened his mouth."

 

To her surprise, Lena half-heartedly chuckled. "Imagine that." She said with the tiniest of smiles. The blonde internally rejoiced from getting Lena to smile again, even if it was only for a moment before the beautiful Luthor's face fell once more. "do you think Lex was telling the truth? About my mother?" Her voice cracked at the end. Lena didn't want to know but felt as if she needed to know Kara's opinion.

 

"I think that Lex is a cruel, evil man who opens his mouth as a last resort to spare a little bit of his rotten pride," Kara confessed, moving closer to her wife as she went on. "I think Lex is the most awful man I've ever met, and I'm so damn proud of you for standing up and speaking your mind to that bastard." She felt the anger rising up further in her chest. Luckily, her passion and love for Lena kept her safely on the ground. Kara stood inches away from the brunette now, reaching out and cupping her face gently in her hands. "I think your mother loved you with all of her heart, as do I, and wouldn't want you to wonder what happened to her body because her _soul_ lives on inside of you."

 

The Kryptonian didn't wipe Lena's tears away this time; it was okay to cry, to let the tears fall. There was a lesson Kara's mother had taught her that she remembered at that moment. _It was okay to feel vulnerable and helpless because when the time comes that you must face your fears, you'll remember that weakness is what reminds a person to be strong._

 

Lena sniffled and smiled as she wrapped her arms around Kara and buried her face into the crook of the blonde's neck. Nobody talked about her birth mother, and Lena always felt sad that she remembered so little about the woman who brought her into the world, and yet Kara continued to surprise her in the best of ways. She comforted her and allowed Lena to feel safe and warm as she cried into her wife's shoulder, holding her so tightly and forever afraid to let go.

 

"Thank you," The young Luthor whispered into Kara's ear. "I love you so much."

 

Kara ignored the twinge of pain in her side as she squeezed Lena a little harder. It would always be worth it. "I love you too. I always will, and our children w—" Kara stopped herself, realizing what she had said.

 

Lena noticed her wife's pause and the words before that. "Our children?" She questioned, pulling away slightly to see Kara's face.

 

The blonde blushed and looked away, nervously shrugging. "I—yes. I've thought about it a few times." She admitted. "It's not my intention to make you uncomfortable—"

 

"You'd want children with me?" Lena interjected, a hopeful expression present on her face.

 

Looking into her emerald eyes, Kara bit the inside of her lip as she tightened her hold on the youngest Luthor just a little. "Of course."

 

Suddenly, Lena's eyes began to water. The Kryptonian's lack of hesitation when she answered was a firm confirmation that Kara was the most amazing person Lena had ever had the honor of being around.

 

Kara saw the brunette's reaction and leaned in for a sweet kiss before explaining. "Everyone expects children out of a royal marriage to continue their legacy and reign, but I'd just enjoy having a family with you, duties to Nationell Citi aside."

 

"Do you always have to make me cry?" Lena joked, chuckling softly as she wiped some of her tears with her hand.

 

Kara came to the rescue and wiped some tears away herself, smiling brightly at the beautiful woman she could call her wife. "What, is it so hard to believe that I want a cute little girl or boy with coal-black hair and bright green or blue eyes running around in the future?"

 

From her wife's words, Lena could tell that Kara was being serious. Her mother and father only said that children were only to continue the family's reign, but the way Kara explained her want for children made it sound sweet and lovely, like a desirable duty to take on. "Wh—When would you like to have children?"

 

The blonde shrugged and blushed. "I guess it would always be up to you. I'm just lucky we have the option to make it both of ours."

 

Lena's smile fell into a lustful look as she gazed into her spouse's striking azure blue eyes. She reached up again and pulled Kara down a little to fully take in the feeling of Kara's hot breath hitting her face. "What if I was ready...now?" She shyly questioned.

 

"Oh," The Kryptonian said dumbly, knowing what that sentence implied. Before she could say anything else Lena was pressing her lips against hers. It was light and meaningful, just like many of their kisses, but something was different about this one; the intense passion. Kara could feel the fire rising in her chest as the soft embrace turned rougher.

 

Lena tugged at the small hairs on the back of Kara's neck, causing the blonde to fight a whimper as she let her hands wander up from the Luthor's waist to back, then down in exploration. It wasn't long before The Kryptonian's lips were traveling to Lena's beautiful, pale neck and planting delicate kisses on her pulse point, an area that Kara knew was sensitive from the sinfully-delicious moan that Lena let out when her teeth grazed that spot. The brunette's eyes closed, just savoring that feeling of closeness with the only person she wanted to feel that with.

 

It wasn't long before the Kryptonian's lips came back up to her wife's sweet mouth, but the young Luthor had a different plan in mind. Lena swiftly maneuvered out of Kara's hold and moved behind the taller woman, nudging the blonde to face the other direction. Lena then began to slowly lift the plain tunic to take it off of her spouse. She knew that if Kara didn't want it than she'd say, so when all she could hear was pleased, heavy breaths, Lena finished her slow movements and yanked the shirt over the princess' head and revealing toned, tanned skin.

 

The raven-haired woman let her hands softly run up and down her lover's warm back, hesitant to at first, but the overwhelming need to _feel_ was almost consuming that she just had to press her lips to Kara's spine and muscly shoulderblades, smiling delightedly as the woman sighed happily into the air. The Kryptonian could feel the heat of the yellow sun waves seeping through the fabric and to her injured skin, soothing the stinging there until she couldn't even feel any pain. Most of her body was hidden by Kara's breast band and bandages.

 

Lena planned not to touch her wound. Kara instead spun around and captured Lena in a bruising kiss, hands drifting back to her waist as they drifted over to their large bed, the younger's legs hitting the mattress but not falling onto it. The blonde could feel the silky fabric of her wife's dress and pulled away.

 

"May I?" She questioned, tugging lightly at Lena's clothing.

 

"Please." Lena nodded, not even needing to turn around as Kara's hands easily undid the ties in the back while keeping their lips connected, helping Lena pull her arms out of the sleeves, shrugging the rest of the pesky to clothing to the floor, pooling around her ankles.

 

Suddenly the young heiress felt very exposed in only a thin pair of underclothings, nothing on her top. She reflexively covered her breasts with her arms, blushing and ashamed. _Kara will take one look and—_

 

Kara tenderly rested her hands on her wife's forearms and guided them away from her chest, pecking the flushed girl's temple. "You don't need to hide from me. You're so beautiful, love."

 

Her partner's whispered words eased the nervousness inside of her, letting the passionate flame retake its place as Lena's soul feeling. The brunette let her arms fall to her sides, exposing her full breasts to Kara for the first time, and the woman's response was not what Lena had unexpected. Kara leaned down and placed gentle kisses to her chest and collarbones, moving lower and lower until she was nipping playfully at Lena's stomach.

 

By now Lena was practically panting. Everything was so new and _good_ that it almost didn't feel real. The only thing keeping her grounded was Kara's pretty blue irises gazing up at her with a charming grin stretched across her face. She was close to losing all control when the blonde looped her fingers in the hem of her undergarments and quickly kissed the pale skin in front of her before turning her attention back up to Lena's emerald eyes, a question waiting on her tongue.

 

"Can I take these off?" Kara asked in a husky voice, staying completely still until given permission.

 

A couple of breaths later, Lena slowly nodded, unsure of herself. Not because she didn't want to show her full raw self to her wife, but because she was nervous about what Kara would think. It wasn't a secret between them that Lillian told her 'daughter' on numerous occasions that she was not beautiful enough for suiters who would eventually see her without dresses and underclothes. "Yes, I'd like that." Lena spoke up, voice slightly shaky but making it clear that she had no regrets about this situation.

 

Kara nodded in thanks and kept eye contact while she slid the last piece of fabric off of Lena's body, smiling encouragingly as she stood once again and cupped the brunette's crimson cheeks. "You're gorgeous. Every inch of you. I'm so lucky." Kara whispered the last part, kissing her ear, jaw, and lips, ghosting down to her chest before coming back up for air.

 

The blushing Kryptonian put her hands on Lena's naked hips and softly lowered her onto the bed, the taller woman moving both of their bodies more to the center, her muscled body hovering over the brunette as she planted kisses on every bit of Lena's pretty face. Kara's left hand slowly trailed down Lena's pale stomach and thighs, dangerously close to the place where the Luthor felt the most heat, wanted the most attention. Her gaze met with Kara's established her permission to take the last step, to be closer than they ever had before.

 

Being a soldier for quite a few years of her life, Kara had heard certain things from other men about how to pleasure a woman but never having done it before, she felt quite nervous doing so for the first time. "Will you tell me if you like it?" She whispered, biting the inside of her lip in anticipation.

 

"Okay." Lena agreed.

 

Kara smiled and continued to trace her hand near Lena's thighs, never once lifting her hand. She wanted her wife to know where she was, what was about to happen, making the young Luthor breathless in desire. The blonde snuck one more kiss before letting her fingers meet the brunette's core, filling the wet and waiting heat that was _Lena_. The heiress moaned in pleasure, feeling no pain from the welcomed intrusion, only pure bliss, and comfort. When Kara began to move her clever hand back and forth, Lena cried out in ecstasy, toes curling, hands fisting and releasing the sheets, arching her back and tangling her hands in her wife's soft blonde locks.

 

Just minutes later, a hot coil began to bind itself impossibly tighter inside the brunette, unable to think straight at the way Kara applied wet, passionate kisses to her chest and neck, murmuring sensuous things into the thick, sex-heavy air. It only took seconds more of Kara thrusting back and forth before that tight coil released and Lena shut her eyes, gripping the blonde's back as she shook frantically, moaning in rapture for the first time with her wife above her, pleased at the sight of Lena's naked body writhing in pleasure.

 

The Kryptonian held herself up and stroked between Lena's legs, then calmly pulled her hand away while whispering how good her lover was. Sex was often seen by many people as something awkward or uncomfortable, but Kara thought of it as the opposite. To her, it was sacred and beautiful, much like the woman she just had the honor of being able to see elegantly exposed and vulnerable...only for her. Kara did frown, however, when Lena hissed in slight discomfort.

 

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

 

Lena easily shook her head. "No, darling. I just miss you...there now."

 

Kara leaned down and pecked the younger's blushing cheek. "No worries then. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time tonight."

 

Both lovesick women jumped in surprise from a loud knock at their door, the brunette scrambling to hide under the covers in her undressed state. It made Kara laugh, covering her mouth to mask the noise. Eventually, the blonde straightened on the edge of the bed and cleared her throat. "What is it?"

 

"Miss Kara, Doctor Stein wanted to inform you that it's time to change your bandages." A high-pitched voice sounded through the thick oak. "Do you need any assistance, or—"

 

"No! No, that's quite alright!" It was Lena's turn to snicker as the young blonde stammered out her response, arms crossed around her slightly naked torso protectively. The last thing they needed was a maid waltzing in on both princesses in their improper state. Kara snuck a glance at Lena grinning from the other side of the bed. In a sudden act of playfulness, the blonde winked before calling out. "My wife can assist me."

 

The Luthor looked taken aback, awaiting the maid's answer. "Of course, Your Grace. Shall I leave the supplies outside the door?" Her tone didn't have even a hint of surprise.

 

Breathing out a quiet sigh of relief, Lena relaxed back into the mattress. Kara told the maid that it was fine and thank you before letting her depart. For a second nobody spoke, but it wasn't long until Kara silently laughed again, much to the Luthor's dislike. "You should have seen your face, love."

 

"Likewise," Lena rolled her eyes in feign annoyance, the smile slowly fading back. She kept the sheets wrapped around her body as she cleared her throat, a small bit shy again, glancing briefly to the door. "If I'm going to be any assistance, I should probably be more...modest just in case."

 

Kara grinned, but still nodded in understanding and with a look of agreement opened her wardrobe and picked a pair of her pants and a dark blue tunic, handing them over to a blushing Lena. "Being embarrassed when undressed is normal, but in the comfort of these walls..." She started, kneeling in front of her wife and gently pulling the covers off Lena's body and unashamedly kissed one of the soft pale breasts on display. "I want you to think about yourself the way I think of you; beautiful and perfect."

 

The brunette once again bit back tears as Kara slipped the shirt over her head and down her body, also pulling the pants up her creamy smooth legs. The Kryptonian knew Lena could easily dress herself, but this was something she wanted to do for her wife. Lena just leaned forward and gladly connected their lips, able to poor all of the love she felt into that one action.

 

They stayed kissing for a while before the young Luthor pulled away slowly, a bright smile appearing as she did so. "Shall I get the medical supplies?"

 

"Sure."

 

Lena stood and walked to the door. She unlocked and opened it, bending down to pick up the tray of clean bandages, a dish of water, and rags, coming back to set the things on the bed, but stopped. Kara had untied the knot keeping the bandage there, left in only her breast band and pants. 

 

Kara jumped at a sudden, loud bang, accompanied by a gasp. She looked forward a saw the medical supplies scattered across the floor, the metal tray being dropped making the sound. The blonde was about to ask what happened when she noticed Lena staring down in shock at her torso. Kara followed her gaze and was equally shocked; her wound from the duel with Lex was completely healed, no scab, no scar, nothing to show that she was even hurt. She knew it had to be from previously standing in the yellow sun rays flooding the room. _No._

 

"Y—Your wound," Lena sounded out of breath, covering her mouth in disbelief as her other hand pointed roughly to her wife's stomach. "What...H—How is that possible?"

 

Panicked, Kara attempted stepping closer, but Lena moved away, back hitting the door. "Lena, please listen—"

 

"How! How are you so calm?"

 

Gritting her teeth in hesitation, Kara knew there was no other way out but the truth. Alex would kill her, Eliza would kill her, but she couldn't get out of this situation anymore. Lena deserved the truth, no matter the reaction. She inhaled shakily, completely unprepared for such a serious conversation. "I—This is going to sound insane..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! After moving across the country, having no internet, hanging out with family I haven't seen in ages, I have delivered. Thank you to everyone for being patent. I might edit this to show the next chapter date because, of course, I'm still settling in and school has started. This work will continue, though, I promise.
> 
> -L
> 
> Next Chapter: September 20th, 2019.


	18. Chapter 18

Lena found it to be a serious challenge to not get distracted by Kara's toned torso, but it was harder to not look at the knowledge that a wound she had seen be caused with her own eyes was no longer there anymore. The young Luthor's thoughts flashed back to the arena and the horror running up and down her veins as she watched the woman she loved with every piece of herself get bruised and bloody, stabbed by her own brother. The terror of feeling helpless as Kara slumped to the ground, a pool of deep crimson soaking the dirt. It had only been hours ago. She couldn't have imagined it, so why was the source of Kara's pain and bleeding now gone? Nothing made sense.

 

"Please, just—just sit." Kara pleaded, voice soft, almost whispering. "This is not easy for me to say, and not easy for you to hear."

 

"You're starting to scare me, Kara." Lena swallowed, still in shock at seeing—or rather, not seeing—what was actually underneath her wife's bandages.

 

The blonde sighed shakily, incredibly nervous. "I don't mean to. I just need you to know that what I'm going to say is something nobody but Alex and the Queen know, and you will too. It's not safe for anyone to know, and I don't say that to scare you, I say that to warn you. So please...sit." She straightened, knowing the danger in telling truth about her birth parents and status. Before Jeremiah died, their last conversation was about her Kryptonian DNA, how she would do incredible things because of her powers and make her parents proud. He also discussed the great risk in anyone knowing of her true self, begging her to promise she'd never tell a single soul.

 

The young Luthor could see the stress all over on Kara's face, even her body was tense as she gestured to the bed, the one they had just made love in minutes ago. After a moment of thought, Lena hesitantly moved to sit at the edge of the mattress. The blonde breathed in relief, but Lena noted that she looked _scared_.

 

"Kara, you can tell me. I want you to trust me."

 

The blonde forced her legs to move, taking Lena's hands in her own, surprised that her's were slightly trembling. She never had to tell anyone this before. "I _do_ trust you, love. It's others that I don't trust. It is quite hard to believe."

 

"I wouldn't believe anyone who said they were magically healed in minutes either." The brunette admitted, both women enjoying the moment of laughter before everything turned serious again.

 

"I love you, Lena, and I don't want anything to come between that, which is why I am going against everything anyone has ever told me to do by saying that...that..." Kara struggled for words. She couldn't just blurt it out, but she needed to start somewhere. Lena squeezed her hands in reassurance, making the blonde look down in thought.

 

Kara grabbed Lena's hand that had her mother's ring and smiled fondly at the memory of giving it to her. "Do you remember when I told you about this ring?"

 

"Yes," Lena nodded slowly, confused.

 

"I told you that my mother gave me this ring before she died from the fire in my village, but that wasn't completely true..." Kara continued before Lena could interject. "My family never perished from a fire, and I didn't live in a village either."

 

"W—What? I don't—"

 

The confusion began to grow on Lena's face, and Kara prayed to every god she'd heard of that her wife would understand soon enough. _Please understand._ "My name is not Kara Danvers, it is Kara...K—" It was as if something physically withheld her words. She shook her head and blinked to pull herself together. It was better to tell the truth than to live in a lie. She felt as though she had to pull the strength from her Rao himself to proceed. "My name is Kara Zor-El of the Kryptonian Royal family. My father and mother were King Zor-El and Queen Alura."

 

Immediately, the pleasant warmth of Lena's hands in her's was ripped away, the brunette's eyes wider than stars as she stood from the bed on unsteady feet, chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to process the unexpected information. Kara swallowed down the lump of emotion in her throat, waiting for Lena to move, say, or do anything at all. She _hated this._ She hated secrets. By the looks of it, Lena was so in shock that she went from breathing heavily to not breathing at all. The young Luthor was going to make herself sick, and Kara would make herself sick from sheer concern. "Lena, darling?"

 

"Don't." Lena finally spoke, the one chilling word sounding more terrifying than most battles Kara had been a part of. "Don't you dare call me that."

 

She was looked furious, green eyes darting away from her gaze to the floor. Kara had never seen her wife like this and it scared her. "D—Darling? I'm sorry..."

 

"No. Don't call me Lena."

 

The blonde was puzzled, to say the least. She so badly wished Lena wouldn't be so upset, but the woman before was absolutely distraught, so much so that it angered her to hear her name. "I don't un—"

 

"How can you say my name!" The heiress shouted, arms folded protectively over her torso. "You're a Kryp—Kryptonian! My father is responsible for the death of your entire kingdom! How can you even look at me?" Lena's bottom lip trembled for a split second. "Was this just some plot for revenge? Make me think you loved me and then slit my throat while we slept?"

 

 _No._ "Never! You know I could never do that to you."

 

"I don't know anything anymore," Lena seethed, gripping her chest in an effort to ground herself.

 

Kara stood and took just one bold step close, uncovered torso forgotten. After stressing the hair out of her head over this, she'd grown frustrated. Not at Lena, but Lena's thoughts. Of course, she loved her and didn't want anybody to doubt that. "I know that I love you and that I trust you with my life. I know that this secret has been eating away at me for over ten years! I share something so personal to me that it often makes me sick to think about it, and I would rather have you know than be kept in the dark...Even if you hate me for it."

 

Lena softened just the slightest bit at her statement but remained distant. "I don't hate you, Kara. I'm bewildered!"

 

"Than let me help you understand!"

 

The shaky brunette grit her teeth and nodded, willing herself to not look at the healed spot on her stomach. It was still unbelievable. Kara blew out a breath of relief, though unable to smile at the moment. All the emotions running through both women was overwhelming. "Just tell me this at least... Did you ever try to say something but stopped because I—I'm a Luthor?"

 

"Yes." She told the truth, but when the blonde realized how she sounded she was quick to correct herself. "It was never because I thought you would betray me, it's because I'm afraid that someone else will harm _you_ for knowing."

 

Lena couldn't stop the ping of affection in her chest. "My brother?"  
She guessed.

 

"Yes," Kara echoed, gaze holding Lena's eyes. "At first I was afraid that you'd reject me if you knew, but I fear now you'll feel guilty about what your father did."

 

"I do, Kara! How could I not?" Lena exclaimed, brow furrowed while her green orbs showed sorrow. How could she not? She asked herself some many times over and over again in the space of a few minutes. Kara suffered so much at the hands of her family. She couldn't help but whisper her pressing thought. "How can you even look at me, Kara? D—Do I look like him?" 

 

She didn't need to question who she was talking about. Kara had remembered seeing Lena for the first time and worried about whether or not she'd be able to look into her eyes for long before flashing back to the face of Lionel Luthor cutting her parents down in front of her. "Your mother must've been a beautiful woman because you look nothing like that man. Your eyes are bright and positive and marvellous. His were dull, dark, and horrid." She stepped closer and secretly rejoiced that Lena didn't flinch away. "I have looked Lionel in the eyes and fled, but when I look into your's I never want to leave."

 

Lena blushed and smiled lightly, appreciative for her wife's ability to make her feel like the only woman in the world. Suddenly, another haunting thought entered her mind. "You saw him? When he..."

 

The young Kryptonian swallowed nervously and closed her eyes, trying to contain her emotions as she remembered that night. "I—It's a long story. I'm not saying I can't tell you, it will just be difficult for me. I haven't talked about it with anyone other than Alex," Kara admitted shyly, a sad feeling sprouting in her body.

 

"I would listen." Lena timidly replied, this time being the one to initiate contact by bringing her hands up to the sides of Kara's neck and stroking her tanned skin with her collarbones. "If you want me to."

 

Kara sighed contentedly and welcomed the touch of her wife's hands happily. "Are you sure? I—It's not...It's not pleasant."

 

Lena had seen plenty of unpleasant things before and had even been the victim of those things. She'd only seen the destruction of Krypton in drawings in books of people telling what had happened after her father murdered the previous capital, but she wasn't prepared for a woman who had seen it all and was the sole survivor of the devastating battle. Nevertheless, Lena wanted to hear what happened from Kara's perspective to get a better understanding. "I'm sure."

 

"I can't remember what I thought when I woke up to screaming inside the palace," Kara began a far off look coming across her features. "But in a matter of seconds, my father burst through the door and told me to get up, that enemies were attacking outside. I barely had the time to throw the covers off before my father grabbed me and ran down the hallways." She swallowed loudly, feeling the emotions beginning to rise as she told her story to a patently waiting Lena. "We met my mother in the throne room with a handful of guards to protect us. My parents knew that it wasn't enough to stop Lionel and as a goodbye, my mother gave me her wedding ring, and my father gave me his that he kept on a necklace chain." Lena grimaced slightly at the mention of her father's name, but a strange familiarity grew in her mind as her spouse mentioned the ring.

 

"What did it look like?"

 

Kara looked down in sadness. "It was a thick gold band with a line of polished oak in the middle, Kryptonian words engraved on the outside of the wood." She told her, almost wanting to smile at the memory of Zor-El's beautiful wedding band, one that Kara constantly wanted to hold and wear in her younger days. "When the King crashed through the throne room's door with his men and...and cut down my parents, I ran. Lionel almost got me, but the most he could grab was my father's necklace from behind. He ripped it off and I guess it's lost in the ruins of home. I then fled as far as possible until I found myself at the borders of Nationell Citi. The rest is history."

 

The young brunette heard the Kryptonian's voice crack as she spoke about Lionel killing Alura and Zor-El. Lena had no idea that Kara watched her father and mother _die_ in front of her, arguably the most evil of the Luthor family, nonetheless. "Kara, I'm so sorry." She found herself apologizing, tears almost spilling over at the horror such a young child had to witness.

 

"You don't need to be," The blonde whispered, hands trailing up and down Lena's sides softly, shaking her head and looking to her with watery eyes. "Lionel Luthor and Lena Luthor are two very different people. To hell with anyone who can't see it." 

 

For a few moments, Kara and Lena just stood there gazing at each other before the older of the two leaned in for a much-needed kiss, both pouring as much love as they could possibly harness into it. All sorts of emotions were felt from the action: understanding, sorrow, forgiveness, and passion. Lena understood why Kara kept a part of herself from her. The secret of her true background was dangerous enough, but having anyone else know was equally worrying. Sorrow for all of Krypton and all lives lost, that awful nightmare of a day. Forgiveness that didn't need to be said out loud. Forgiveness on behalf of families and lies. Passion for finally being able to embrace as both women wanted to after such a tense, heavy conversation and discovery.

 

The heiresses stayed that way for a while, holding on and loving each other. Lena eventually pulled away with a gasp as a gear shifted in her mind, a cog twisting into place. Kara looked down at her as if about to ask what was wrong, but Lena spoke first. "His body..."

 

It came out in a whisper, but Kara could still hear it. "What?"

 

"H—His body, my father's body!" She exclaimed in disbelief, continuing as the blonde's expression simply read confusion. "When a search party went out for my father's body and they brought it back there was a gold ring in one of his pockets!" Lena breathed, hoping what she was thinking was true. 

 

"Lena, what—"

 

The brunette pulled out of Kara's space and ran to her wardrobe, throwing the doors open and feeling around a tall shelf while the blonde watched in a state of puzzlement. Lena's eyes widened when she found what she was looking for, a small leather satchel. She opened it and fished around excitedly and pulled out a familiar object... A ring. It had dark wood in the middle and strange symbols on it, a small chain threaded through, the same original broken chain, but it was repaired so that the clasp at the back could close again, keeping the band from sliding off.

 

Once Kara put it all together she too gasped, mouth open in awe at the thing she never thought she'd see again. "Is that..."

 

"I had no idea until just now," Lena revealed, holding the jewellery up so Kara could see from the few feet of distance away. "It was so beautiful to me that I just had to keep it."

 

The blonde's feet were suddenly shaky as she slowly walked closer to her wife, holding _her father's ring._ This time a tear did fall from Kara's blurry eyes, rolling slowly down her cheek and slipping silently to the floor. Lena panicked slightly; she had never seen Kara cry before, and the only person she knew how to comfort when they were crying was herself. The small brunette was about to lower her hand holding the ring, thinking the sight of it was too much for her wife but was pleasantly startled when Kara sprinted to her, taking the thin Luthor into her arms and lifting her off the floor, spinning around. The woman's tan arms gripping her tightly reminded Lena of their wedding night. Lena wanted to spend the rest of her life in Kara's ever-sweet embrace.

 

"I can't believe it!" The blonde muttered into Lena's shoulder once she put her back down, reaching out to hold the ring that she lost so long ago, something from her father that she never thought she'd be able to hold again.

 

Lena smiled widely at the joy on the young Kryptonian's face. "If you wanted to you could...you could wear it as your wedding ring instead of the other one." She suggested, shrugging in a way that Kara found adorable.

 

Kara nodded enthusiastically, wiping a stray tear away before yanking the small silver band off, taking out the chain and slipping Zor-El's ring on, not at all shocked when it didn't on her finger. It was a wedding ring for a man, and sadly her finger was slightly too small. "Necklace it is." Kara laughed with Lena, putting the gold band back on the chain and looped it around her neck, finding comfort in the weight of the metal falling close to her heart, where she kept her father.

 

"You have a piece of your father, and I have a piece of your mother," Lena observed, the gold shining brightly in contrast to the Kryptonian's dull grey breast band.

 

Lena grinned into a kiss, her heart swelling when the blonde reciprocated, pressing her solid frame into her small body. "I feel such peace with you," Kara murmured absently as they pulled away, foreheads briefly resting against each other.

 

Kara smiled equally as brightly, nodding in agreement, but seconds later the smile dropped. "I'm sorry I didn't you about my past until now."

 

"It's okay," The brunette replied, face softening at the sad look in Kara's eyes. "We haven't known each other long, and given our who we are and our families, I understand why. Now I have another reason to thank the gods."

 

"What's that?" Kara asked, squeezing the young Luthor's hips softly in encouragement.

 

Lena inhaled deeply and suddenly hugged her wife tight, resting her head in the crook of Kara's neck. "That you were spared during that battle. That you're alive to tell stories of Krypton to our children one day."

 

At the mention of children for the second time that day, Kara wrapped her arms around Lena and looked up for a moment in hopes to keep her tears at bay. She used to say that love wasn't for her, but now she was holding her whole world in her arms, her mother's ring on her world's finger and her father's ring rest safely between their warm bodies. Alex and Eliza wouldn't agree with Lena knowing her secret. At least not right now, but Kara had lived long enough to know when to trust her gut.

 

"Speaking of children," Lena smirked as she broke the silence. "I believe that I never got to...properly take care of you as well." She stepped back so the Kryptonian could see the suggestive gleam in her eyes.

 

"Yes, taking care of your wife should be your first priority." Kara joked, laughing along with the smaller woman, who was now slowly sliding her hands down her back and near her waist. Kara could tell by looking underneath her confident exterior that Lena was slightly nervous to be under control of their intimacy this time. Leaving no room for negative or doubtful thoughts, Kara lifted her wife's hands and placed them on her breasts, inhaling sharply at the good feeling despite knowing what was coming. Just like Lena, Kara had never been touched so intimately before. No amount of confidence could prepare her for the electric buzz that travelled up the blonde's spine.

 

"Will you show me how?" Lena asked nervously, breathing in shakily and smiling when her wife nodded and leaned down to capture her soft lips again.  
.  
.  
.  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, another chapter down! Thank you all for staying with me this far and reading about our favourite pairing!
> 
> -L
> 
> Next Chapter: Thursday, October 17th, 2019.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again!

It had been a week since Lex and Lillian had left the Nationell Citi Kingdom, a week since Kara and Lena's first coupling. A week since her wife found out that Kara was a Kryptonian and it was unquestionably amazing. Not having to lie to her, being able to talk to somebody about her true heritage and not worry about it was _wonderful_. Besides Alex, of course. Speaking of Alex, she still had to tell her sister that Lena knew, and the older Danvers also had yet to mention that Maggie knew as well. The day that those secrets were spilt was an...interesting one, to say the least.

 

Alex decided to tell her sister—more likely, she found out—about Maggie's knowledge of...her during a training session while by themselves in a lesser-used courtyard so nobody else had ears on them. Both women had some time of their respective duties to their kingdom and sparing seemed like a nice break from everything else in the moment. They were currently finishing another round that Kara had won. Alex playfully accused her younger sibling of using her Kryptonian strength after picking herself up off the ground and wiping her trousers off. "I miss when we were younger and you were much easier to knock down." The auburn-haired woman reflected, nose scrunched in defeat.

 

"Oh, don't start with that. You still best be countless times, Kryptonian strength be damned."

 

"I know, I just wanted to hear you say it out loud. Too bad Lena isn't here to hear it too." Alex joked, laughing as Kara dropped her sword and charged at her head first, throwing her body over her shoulder like a rag doll and spinning her around. "Put me down, you git! I'll kick your Kryptonian ass!" She couldn't help but laugh as Kara ran in a zig-zag pattern with her sister's frame still dangling from her shoulders. The blonde came to a sudden stop, almost knocking the wind out of Alex as she practically threw her off her shoulders. "Kara, what the hell was th—" The older started, but closed her mouth when she saw what caused the princess to stop her actions. Maggie was standing as stiff as a board at the entrance to the courtyard. _Shit,_ Alex cursed internally. She had to have heard them talk about Kara's...strength, and the blonde was positively shocked. She felt like a little child caught stealing a toy.

 

"How long were you standing there?" The younger Danvers commanded, using her military captain voice at the soldier as she strode closer.

 

Alex scrambled to a standing position again, putting herself between her sister and girlfriend, who still had yet to say anything. "Kara, hold on—"

 

"Alex, she heard us!" The blonde protested, trying to move her aside. A fight between Maggie and her commanding officer was the last thing she needed right now.

 

The Kryptonian eventually stopped attempting to push past her adopted sister. She wasn't going to stoop so low as to shove her down like an enemy, even in anger or panic. "I know," Alex said. "It's okay."

 

"Okay? How are you so calm?" Kara huffed, face contorting into confusion. "This is—"

 

"I told her, Kara!"

 

A pause. A hitched breath. Kara stopped moving completely, just stared down at her sister, her blue eyes becoming a sea of betrayal. The short-haired woman quickly glanced behind her to take in Maggie's expression. Her lover was holding her breath, looking to both sisters worriedly.

 

"Come here, Sawyer." Alex spun around with chocolate brown eyes wide at Kara's words, knowing that orders given by her sister had to be followed because of her status as Crown Princess.

 

The brunette would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous about what her sister would do or say to her girlfriend while feeling brutally disconcerted. "Kara, please—" One pointed look made her shut her mouth. Usually, it was the blonde receiving the glare, but not this time.

 

Footsteps behind her had Alex moving out of the way just slightly so that she could see both Maggie and Kara. Whatever was going to happen made both women incredibly anxious. "Your Grace." The short soldier greeted, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.

 

"Have you said anything to anyone else?" Kara questioned, keeping her voice low and tone scary.

 

Maggie instantly shook her head, seeming to shrink under her gaze. "No, Your Grace."

 

"I could have you banished. I could have you transferred out of Nationell Citi." Kara seethed, struggling to not growl in fury. She wouldn't do it, but Alex and Maggie didn't know that. A feeling of sadness washed over her as she turned to her sister, who looked close to tears. "That was not your secret to share."

 

"I know, and I'm sorry—"

 

The blonde held her hand up in a fist to stop her sibling. She was mad and tired of not being able to show it most of the time. Kara wouldn't send Maggie away, but there was something she could do about all of this that came to mind. _An eye for an eye_. "Does mother still not know about your relationship?"

 

Both Maggie and Alex hesitated, knowing the implication. "Y—You wouldn't."

 

Kara just turned around and started for the castle entrance, the two other women hot on her heels. "Kara—Kara, please stop!" She felt Alex's hand on her shoulder trying to hold her back, a hand that was usually so comforting now making her see red. The Kryptonian whipped around, face inches from her sister's, finally letting the dam of emotion break free from its cage.

 

"You've told me all of my life to hide, to never tell anybody who I am! No one, not even my wife! I can't understand this..." Kara shouted in her face, Alex wincing from the volume echoing around the empty courtyard. "My own sister won't trust my judgment about the woman I love more than all seven kingdoms, yet you think that it's alright to just go telling Maggie like it's an insignificant child's secret. I have always counted on my big sister, but all I can feel right now is disappointment. That hurts more than anything, Alex."

 

The auburn-haired woman gasped and stepped back, her hand coming to clasp Maggie's, the brunette squeezing it firm but also afraid. "You don't mean that. I love her, Kara, I couldn't—"

 

Alex was interrupted again, bracing herself for the Kryptonian's next wave of words. "And I love Lena. She's no threat to me or this kingdom, yet you _still_ treat her that way. I know you want to protect me, sister, but this is not how." Kara stopped to breathe, continuing before Alex could start talking again. "Lena's knows who I am, and thankfully could care less." She then shifted her attention to the castle doors. "I am _sick_ of lying."

 

Maggie swallowed. Unable to speak, she stayed planted to the ground as Alex chased after Kara, pleading for her to let her explain. Everything was going downhill so fast, and Alex couldn't bear the thought of her sister so furious, so enraged with her. The brunette just wanted to fix it all but knew it was too late. "Kara, please don't do this! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stopped you from telling Lena." Her sister just kept bounding inside, going faster. "K—Kara!" The older Danvers' voice cracked with emotion, unable to keep up with the blonde. Once they made up a flight of stairs Alex dropped to her knees, a quiet sob escaping her throat as she cursed herself for her mistake.

 

Alex kneeled there for a few seconds before a familiar pair of boots made their way to her line of sight. She craned her neck upwards to find herself looking into her little sister's sad, hurt eyes. She could understand why Kara felt so hurt. Alex didn't regret telling Maggie, she regretted not telling Kara it was okay to be herself around her loved ones. "I need space. Go be with Maggie..." The blonde whispered, forcing her sister to stand by tugging her back up gently. "If you trust her that much then you must need her more than me right now." There was no malice in her voice, no anger, just sorrow and pain as she turned and left down the long hallway.

 

Alex knew what her sister said was true. Why couldn't Kara tell the love of her life when she did just that? Alex was only trying to protect her little sister, but maybe it wasn't the best way to go about it. After all, Kara told Lena anyway, and nothing happened. The blonde said that Lena loved her for it, but Alex still couldn't shake away that horrible feeling of worry that something was going to happen to her adopted sibling and she'd be powerless to stop it. If Kara wanted space and time, then Alex would give it to her, but it killed her to not know if she would forgive her.

 

Footsteps coming up the stairs indicated that someone was coming but the auburn-haired woman couldn't bring herself to care, too consumed in fear of if Kara would tell her mother about her relationship with a palace guard. She deserved it, really. "Alex, babe!" Maggie's voice began to sound in her ears. The redhead turned her head and watched Maggie run to her side, asking if she was alright.

 

"I messed up, Mags," Was all she could say before crying silently again, this time into her lover's shoulder.

 

***

 

Kara was sitting in her room with Lena an hour later. She told her wife what happened with her sister, brushing away her concerns about whether or not Alex would be too upset that she knew Kara's secret to try and apologise and continue to hold a grudge against her.

 

"Didn't she tell Maggie for the same reasons you told me?" Lena asked, her presence comforting beside her on the mattress.

 

"Yes, but that's not why I'm angry with her." She blew out a breath of frustration.

 

The brunette patiently waited for her wife to explain further, not pushing, not talking, just sitting and listening. Lena had done the same for Lex before their father died but sadly lost the feeling of giving someone else comfort after he let the power of being a king get to his head. "Alex told me all my life not to tell my secret to anybody for my safety, and then instantly tells Maggie without my consent. It's just—I can't help but feel like Alex has more trust in Maggie, whom she's known for weeks, than she does in me, whom she's known for years." The Kryptonian confessed, a crease between her brow. Lena always noticed it when Kara was confused or thinking too hard.

 

"I've never had anyone besides you to trust before, but it sounds like Alex was just acting out of love. Love does make people do strange things to us, after all." She smirked suggestively, delighted when Kara looked up and saw her face, huffing humorously at her wife's words, playful yet true. "I'm not saying you have no reason to be upset, just that sympathy is a very powerful emotion, and I think you have more of that for your sister than you do anger."

 

Kara was honestly impressed. She had gone to Lena before for support and guidance like any healthy relationship should, and it was a pleasant surprise how smart and sweet her spouse was. Of course, Kara knew Lena had a brilliant and charming mind as well as a way with words; that was just one of the things she loved about her. "You sure have a way with words, my love."

 

Lena chuckled, going around to kiss her on the back of her neck. The blonde shivered as Lena kept going down, kissing down her bicep and forearm until she reached her wrist. That was when Kara grabbed Lena by the collar of her dress and pulled her up to her face, planting a hard kiss on the Luthor's soft lips. Neither women minded when Lena manoeuvred herself to sit on Kara's lap, strong arms wrapping around her thin waist as they continued to embrace. Lately, both heiresses found each other desiring more and more physical contact, whether it be holding hands, hugging, kissing, or other more...intimate actions in the privacy of their room. Before the couple went too far, they separated with matching smiles.

 

"Would you like to come into the markets with me?" Kara asked suddenly, biting her lip for a split second. "I know you've never been there before and I'd like to show you around the city that's outside of this castle."

 

The young Luthor had never been outside around the town of Nationell Citi. She hadn't met any of the commonfolk either, and the idea of getting to know new people seemed great, but there was always the underlying thought that the civilians of Nationell Citi wouldn't want to meet the daughter of the man who destroyed the previous capital of the Seven Kingdoms. She did not doubt that Kara would protect her if something were to happen, along with several guards, but they wouldn't be able to protect her from the hurt that would come from more rejection because of her family. "I—I don't know. Do you think the people would like to see me?"

 

"You have nothing to fear, love," Kara responded, playing with a piece of hair in front of Lena's face. "If the people of Nationell Citi know anything, it's that Lena Luthor makes me happy, and if she makes their favourite princess happy then they will learn to appreciate her just as much as I do."

 

A hopeful smile brightened the brunette's face, moving closer on the blonde's lap to wrap her arms around Kara's neck and pull at her golden tresses, something that Kara loved if her quiet moan was any clue. Both women had gotten so much closer physically and mentally, making it almost impossible to not smile whenever they were together. It was one of the best feelings in the world. "If you're so sure, then I'd love to come with you."

 

"Great," Kara beamed. "I wanted to show you a friend who breeds hunting dogs down past the main market street. She and her father own a small home there and they always have a new litter of the cutest little puppies."

 

"I suspect you just want a reason to play with puppies," Lena commented, smirking as her wife shrugged and blushed.

 

"Maybe," The Kryptonian mumbled. When the Luthor's melodious laugh range out throughout their room, Kara tried her hardest not to laugh along with her. Of course, she failed.

 

***

 

An hour later the married couple found themselves comfortably walking arm in arm down the merchant section of Nationell Citi, guards surrounding them and looking much more threatening than necessary. Lena smiled nervously as commonfolk stopped to watch them pass by, some staring at Kara, others staring at her. It was interesting to see people not bowing or avoiding her presence like in Thorul. Here, the individuals seemed as if they wanted to break through the wall of guards to properly meet them. Kara leaned down to ask multiple times if she was alright or too overwhelmed, but Lena always replied that she was fine. The young Luthor was about to wave at a man when the blonde beside her suddenly pulled her in a different direction. "Look!" She pointed excitedly.

 

Lena looked her way, her vision focusing on a small stall close to them filled with various types of children's toys; wooden figures, dolls, toy swords, blocks, and a few stuffed animals. The person manning the stall was an older woman, wrinkles and a kind smile present on her face. When she noticed that the two princesses were headed her way, the woman's expression turned surprised, kind eyes widened. Kara stopped and told the guards to hang back before continuing with the brunette. Both women stopped at the front of the stall and looked down at the items. Lena didn't know why hey stopped at this particular stall, but the child-like look in Kara's eyes was enough to convince her that perhaps the Kryptonian simply enjoyed looking at the many items before her.

 

"How much for these?" Kara pointed to the wooden horses, dogs, rabbits, and mules, each no bigger than the size of an apple.

 

The merchant woman stammered for a moment. It wasn't every day that a member of the royal family approached your stall. "T—Two coppers each, Your Grace." 

 

Lena hadn't expected that, and apparently, Kara didn't either. "Two coppers?" The blonde parroted. "Did you make these yourself?"

 

"Yes. Both me and my son." The woman smiled softly, but proudly at the heiress' interest in her work.

 

"They're lovely. I'd like them all." Not only did the old woman's mouth open in shock, but so did Lena's. _All of them?_ She didn't want to be impolite in front of other people, but Lena was a little confused. What was Kara going to do with twenty wooden toys? During her moment of confusion, Lena's wife pulled out her coin purse and emptied some money into her palm and thrust it out to the woman.

 

The woman looked down and suddenly appeared close to tears. In her hand was more than enough _gold_ pieces instead of silver or copper. "Th—This is too much, Your Highness!" She exclaimed, attempting to return the coins with shaking hands. "You're too kind."

 

"Nonsense," Kara held the woman's hand and patted it with a bright smile. "These are beautiful. Surely they are worth more than just two coppers. I could supply you with some balsa wood. It's certainly softer and easier to carve than pinewood."

 

Lena watched the exchange with a full heart for her wife. Her compassion and generosity were one of the most wonderful qualities the young leader possessed. She dreamed of meeting someone like this woman in front of her one day, and now she was married to her. 

 

Somehow the exchange between Kara and the merchant woman became sweeter when the old lady began to cry, so grateful for the money that would no doubt feed her and her son that night. "Thank you, Your Highness. Both of you." She equally smiled at Lena as well, who quickly reciprocated it.

 

"Just Kara, ma'am," She replied. "And thank you for the figurines."

 

As they went on their way again, Kara holding a bag full of the items just purchased, Lena finally let out the question she'd had in her mind. "I can't help but wonder why you bought those toys for yourself, aside from the fact that you're too kind for your own good."

 

The blonde laughed at her complement as they strolled along. "Actually, these aren't for me," She revealed, holding up the sack of wooden toys. Before Lena could ask something else a small blur rushed into the corner of her vision. The Luthor followed the movement and found it to be a child running across the street with another chasing them. It was two little girls with smudges of dirt on their arms, clothes and faces, but not a care in the world as they laughed and played and imagined together. One of the guards accompanying them assumed that the first child being chased had gotten a little too close to the royals and cut them off with a yell to get back. He thought only about his princesses' safety, but when both children stopped in their tracks and looked up to the now unmoving wall of guards... Lena wanted to do something about it.

 

"It's alright," The brunette said, thankful that the man's shoulders slumped a bit but it wasn't enough to help the girls relax as well.

 

Kara eyed her wife with an idea in her head. Lena had become less shy about asking for things or saying things to other people and it clearly showed, but the Kryptonian could tell that there was still one wall that the younger heiress was too nervous to break down just yet. "Let them through."

 

The guards stepped back to show the little girls looking ashamed and too scared to move. The two women shared a look before Kara knelt down to their height and waved them forward with an encouraging smile. Both girls glanced behind them and found eyes with a short, skinny man leaning near the entrance of a building. He nodded, most likely permitting the children to go. They turned back around and oh so slowly approached, Lena getting down to their level too. Suddenly, two pairs of tiny hands reached out to the princesses.

 

The younger girl touched Lena's dress with a fascinating expression. "P—Pretty." She whispered, then face up and rested her hands right the sides of Lena's face. "You're pretty."

 

"Why thank you," She responded. Lillian never talked to her children so nicely, nor did she care about teaching Lena about what to act like around children, although, there was nowhere to go but up. "I like your hair." The girl's dirty brown hair was long and curly.

 

Meanwhile, the child that approached Kara was already sitting on her lap, playing with one of the wooden toys shaped like a horse. She made it move up and down in the air to mimic a galloping motion, giggling in joy. If it was possible, Lena's heart seemed to melt a little more. It didn't seem like something that would ever happen to her, but watching the blonde play and laugh with the child in her lap made the young Luthor think about what having children with Kara would be like in their future. Sure, Lena had no experience with a good mother in her life, so how could she be a good one? That doubt filled her mind constantly, if only she was half as confident Kara seemed to be then perhaps their children would turn out just fine.

 

Lena quickly remembered where she was and blushed scarlet when she found that many people were watching them sit with the two little girls, but Kara paid them no mind as she stood up with the older child in her arms, balanced on her hip as she strolled over to the man and began a conversation, nodded along at something he said before handing the child back to him. The little girl next to Lena wrapped her arms around her in a quick hug that caught the princess by surprise and ran back in Kara's direction. Lena stood up just as her wife headed back, the bag of items no longer in her hand. "Where are your things?"

 

"The kids belong to that orphanage. The man took the toys to distribute to all the others."

 

Lena knew that Kara didn't do that to maintain a good public appearance, she was just genuinely good. Although they were out in the open around their people, the brunette couldn't help but bring their lips together for a soft kiss linking arms again as they separated. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

 

"I just...love you. I _really_ love you."

 

The possibility of a family with Kara by her side felt so right. They were young but as long both women had each other, traumatic past be damned. Lena felt like she belonged in herself, and Kara felt like she belonged in the world.  
.  
.  
.  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy it? Let me know how you like the story so far! Thanks for reading, everyone.
> 
> -L
> 
> Next Chapter: Pending.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little shorter, but some angsty things are coming our way.

The happy couple enjoyed walking around and exploring the city until the eventual orange-pink darkness began to take over the houses and streets, the beautiful sun setting beyond everyone to soon shine over the rest of the world. Although neither one wanted to return to the palace just yet, Kara and Lena made their way back home after the guards informed them that it would be more dangerous for them to be wandering about at night. Still, both princesses thoroughly enjoyed walking side by side and hand in hand as they bayed a few more commonfolk goodnight and in turn, they wished for their rulers' safe return with glad smiles and tired eyes from a long, hot day of work.

 

"I'm deeply sorry we didn't get to see the dogs today," Lena spoke once they were completely alone. The guards had left them once they reached the palace steps, which both women were currently climbing.

 

"It's alright, love. I was happy just spending time seeing what you wanted to." Kara replied, bright smile present as she looked down at her wife. Being with Lena made a different feeling arise in her body. It was different from Alex, Eliza, even the soldiers. She loved Lena in a way that she'd never loved anybody before, and hopefully no one else. Lena was more than perfect for her. "What was your favourite thing about our trip?"

 

Lena thought over the question for a moment, remembering the people she met, the sights she saw. Nationell Citi during the day was a beautiful sight to behold, and the people were kind and well-mannered, unlike many of the citizens in Thorul. As she pondered, a rather touching encounter popped into her mind again, and she knew she had her answer. "Watching you with that child. You looked so happy and relaxed then."

 

The blonde wasn't expecting that to be Lena's response. They had done many things those hours, and she had only just remembered those children. Before she even met Lena, Kara went into town so many times, sometimes just to interact with the orphans. She felt like she could relate to all the other children who lost their families to war or sickness. Even if their circumstances weren't exactly the same, it helped both her and the children. "Ah, yes. They were very cute."

 

"You as well," Lena added, speaking her mind. "Witnessing you so...nurturing gives me hope."

 

"For what?" Kara chuckled when the brunette sighed and laid her head on her shoulder after they reached the stairs and walked along the hall that led to their bedroom. The warm pressure felt nice.

 

Thankfully her wife couldn't see the blush that rose to her face and her small lip-bite. "That one day our children will have a great woman to look up to."

 

Kara's heart flood with happiness at just the words her lover had said, but also the thought of waking up in the morning, turning over in bed to see Lena sitting across the room in a rocking chair feed their child, singing and grinning at the little baby swaddled in a blanket on her lap, Lena's hair slightly dishevelled and nightgown on from the night before. It was such a beautiful dream, a taste of what reality might feel like in the future. "What about you? I saw the way you smiled when that little girl hugged you today."

 

"I just hope they love me." She whispered. Hearing how sad her own words sounded, Lena sought to lighten the mood. "I would want them to have your hair and eyes."

 

"Oh, on the contrary!" Kara gasped before her upper body began to slightly shake with laughter. "I always imagine our children with pretty green eyes and pitch-black hair like their gorgeous mother."

 

If Lena wasn't blushing badly before, she surely was now. How did she stumble upon such a charming wife? It wasn't until Kara opened their bedroom door for them and they were in the silent safety of their own space when Lena spoke again, smirking at her thought. "If only we got to choose. Maybe twins, one look-alike for each of us."

 

The blonde turned to face her lover and nodded slowly, glancing down at ruby red lips then back up to emerald green. "You know, all this talk of children makes me feel as though we should discuss...when we should make these lovely dreams come true." Of course, Kara and Lena loved children, and they loved each other. They always imagined kids in their future, but the older woman was right; they hadn't actually mentioned _when_.

 

"Well, how old was your mother when she had you?" Kara's face fell just the smallest bit, but Lena could still see it. She instantly wrapped her arms around the taller woman's shoulders and pulled her closer. "I apologise, I didn't mean to b—"

 

"No, no, it's alright. It just caught me a little by surprise is all." Kara reassured her lover with a peck to the lips, simple but caring. "My mother married my father and had me very young. If I remember right, she was about my age." She watched Lena listen and nod, a glint in her eyes suspecting that she had another question on the tip of her tongue, yet Kara could tell she was holding back. "You can ask me whatever you want about my birth parents, Krypton, anything."

 

Lena nodded, still hesitant. "I simply don't want to sound too forward, darling."

 

"You won't, I promise." Kara assured her, encouraging Lena to continue with a charming raise of her eyebrows that sent a smile back up to the younger's face.

 

Many questions were floating in her mind ever since that day she learned of Kara's true heritage. Some of them she could answer herself, others left her over time, but a few were still very present on the tip of her tongue. "Well...forgive me if this isn't something you'd like to answer, but is it true what people say about Krypton? That the people could create a child from just two different pieces of DNA?"

 

"Yes. I am a walking confirmation of that." Kara revealed, gesturing up and down at herself. She should've known that her wife would ask such an intelligent question It was Lena, after all. "My mother and father had no luck naturally conceiving a child, so the Royal Physician suggested just combining their DNA and artificially attaching the embrio to my mother. Months later, and now I'm here. When I left Krypton I 'made a discovery' that doing it was possible." She finished with a shrug, saying everything Lena needed to know right then.

 

Lena listened in wonder. "Fascinating! That eases my worries a little," She said quietly, not exactly meaning to say that out loud.

 

The blonde furrowed her brow unable to resist resting one of her hands on the side of Lena's pale neck. "What sort of worries?"

 

"On our first night as a married couple, and before then, I had dreams of us together with a child, but I found myself growing sad that it wouldn't be both of ours..." Lena ducked her head down, suddenly overcome with emotion. It was an emotional subject and finding out the possibilities of being able to have a child that was _theirs_ made a light, tender feeling erupt inside of her. "Because I think baring your child would make me the happiest woman in this Kingdom—in the world."

 

How could Kara mentally describe the feeling she felt at that moment? The word 'happy' just wouldn't cut it. 'Overjoyed' came close, but it still didn't feel right. _Feel._ Kara wanted to just show Lena how she felt, deciding her voice wouldn't be completely satisfactorily. "Oh, my love." She lifted Lena's gaze up again and kissed her wife's forehead, down to her cheeks and then lips. Slow, soft embraces that turned desperate and meaningful in no time at all. Both women knew where their loving embrace would end up if they didn't pull away now, but neither one could make an effort to stop the kiss that led down to Lena's neck and collarbone.

 

A look of asking for permission was made by Kara, who slid her hand down to Lena's thighs. The young Luthor responded by jumping into her wife's strong grasp, somehow able to not break her focus of kissing along Kara's jaw and pulse-point as a pair of warm Kryptonian hands squeezed her upper thighs so pleasantly. The women made it over to their bed and Kara threw themselves down on the plush mattress, but before she could ask if it was alright to take off her dress Lena had slung one of her arms around her torso and flipped them over, the brunette now straddling her. "I—I want to be on top." She stuttered, not from nervousness, but from being out of breath.

 

Kara could only nod. The view of Lena's flushed face and chest was enough to knock her speechless. Her wife leaned down and pressed one more kiss to her smooth lips before sitting right back up again, pushing down on the blonde's chest when she tried to chase her mouth. Kara wanted to ask if she did something wrong, but her breath caught in her throat when Lena slowly moved her hips forward, moving back and then forward, right above Kara's centre. A moan escaped the Kryptonian's throat as she grabbed at the sheets of the bed, eyes slammed shut at the already overwhelming pleasure. Lena reached down and grabbed both of Kara's hands and placed them on her waist with purpose, using her wife's hands to move back and forth at a steady pace. "Open your eyes, darling."

 

_Darling_. Kara couldn't get enough of Lena calling her that, especially like this. She did as she was told, opening her eyes and meeting Lena's pretty green orbs that had become mostly black from desire. The younger heiress let out a strangled moan when their cores met at a certain angle, and that tipped Kara over the edge. She sat up lightning-fast, grabbing Lena's hair and pulling her into a hard kiss. "I'd prefer to do this without layers of clothing separating us." She whispered into the air, biting softly at her lover's neck.

 

Lena pulled away and smirked, a dangerously beautiful gleam in her eyes as her hands reached up to the buttons of Kara's shirt and began undoing them while the blonde's hand remained on her small hips, slowly moving her on top of her, the breath leaving her body again when Lena had enough of trying to remove the buttons of her shirt and just ripped the last few buttons off with enough strength to surprise both women. "Excited?" Kara teased, chuckling into the quick kiss Lena gave her, but Lena didn't sit up that time. She stayed down near Kara's tempting lips as she resumed her ministrations on top of her. "What about you?" She breathed out, referring to the dress still keeping her from touching the creamy skin underneath.

 

"I ruined your shirt. I assume it's only fair if you do the same." Lena whispered seductively.

 

Without blinking, Kara rolled them over again, Lena now beneath her. She also wasted no time in channelling a little bit of her Kryptonian strength and grabbed the neck of Lena's dress, pulling the fabric roughly apart down past her lower stomach. The brunette gasped at the sound of her clothes ripping. She laughed in glee, surprised by the blonde's actions. "Kara!"

 

"When I see something I like I prefer not to wait." Kara flirted, giving her own smirk when the candlelight in their room illuminated the crimson blush spreading from Lena's face to her chest.

 

However, the Luthor had recovered quick enough to reply with a witty remark back. "That can be arranged, Princess."

 

***

 

Lex sat stiffly in his chair as he looked down at the letter he had just written to the dreaded Kingdom of Nationell Citi. After they had been banished from the one place they wanted most the evil king had consistently worn a frown on his face, lip still healing from when Kara had hit him the hilt of her sword. There was no way that... _girl_ had beaten him in combat. That whore shattered his best sword. How does a person, let alone a girl do that? He did take some joy in knowing what it felt like when his sword had punctured the infuriating princess. Watching the blood drip to the dirt, watching his sister's face as the love of her life was almost taken from her was nearly the greatest reward. Nearly. The greatest sight would be slashing his weapon across both women's necks, letting them fall to the ground and rot like spoiled fruit.

 

As always the tell-tale pattern of his mother's knock pulled Lex away from his glorious, bloody thoughts. "Come in."

 

The handle twisted with a slight squeak before the door opened and Lillian's tall frame came into view. "My son, the courier is ready to deliver the letter if it is finished." Lex pulled the wax stamp off the sealed letter and handed it to her dismissively, still staring down at his dry quill. "My King, perhaps it would be wise to not dwell on your loss when you have gained so much."

 

"And what would that be?" The bald man snapped, not wishing to discuss more than necessary.

 

Lillian just smirked and sat down on the other side of the desk. "Your sister is inside the Capital, Lex. She is a part of Kara Danvers' weak spot. Family." She explained, feeling a touch of pride when her son finally looked up, the darkness in his eyes that hinted his newfound interest. "All we have to do his target this, whether it be Lena, her sister, or..."

 

"Or?" Lex urged, sitting straighter in his seat.

 

The older woman sharpened her gaze, thinking hard. "Do we still have the trust of our...little bird to the West?" She whispered, the subject clearly for no one's ears but their own.

 

Lex smirked and nodded slowly, raising a satisfied eyebrow. "Yes. Are you suggesting what I assume you are, mother?" He waited for the oldest Luthor to confirm before sliding out of his chair and moving to the side table in the spacious room. He quickly pulled a tiny scroll out of the cupboard in a false-back of the wood, no bigger than his littlest finger. For years Lex had anxiously awaited for the right time to use it, and now appeared to be better than ever. "Remember mother, once this is received into the right hands, we will have but a week to excuse the last of this plan."

 

"Of course, my boy," She answered, also moving to stand. "In a few weeks, everything we have wanted, everything your father wanted will be in our grasp, ours for the taking. We just need to do as we have always done... Play at our own rules—"

 

"And to hell with anybody who sees otherwise." Lex finished for her, a deep and chilling laugh sounding out. He thrust the small scroll into Lillian's hands and allowed her to depart, murmuring a few last words into the cold, unsettling air of his corrupt Kingdom. "If the people want a _grand_ fight, then a grand fight they shall have. I am going to love this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no...


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21! This work is officially old enough to drink! Cheers!
> 
> -L

It was only a week after Kara and Lena had explored the streets of Nationell Citi together, and every day since then the happy couple continued to meet the townspeople and walk around the stunning Capital. The Kryptonian could tell how much Lena was flourishing outside the dreaded Luthor kingdom. She also saw just how beautiful her wife looked when socializing with new people. Citizens, servants, and other nobles alike. It was hard to think of a time when Kara had felt so happy. She wished her parents were alive to see her and her wonderful wife thriving together.

***

Three knocks sounded on the royal couple's door. "Miss Lena, the Queen requests your presence in her chambers."

That surprised them both. "Do you want me to come with you?" Kara asked, standing up with Lena from their place near the warm fire.

Why would the Queen want to see her? A feeling of nervousness ran up and down her spine for a brief moment. Since her and Kara's wedding night, the only times that Lena had any interaction with Eliza was in passing for a few kind words and a well-wishing of each other's day. The Luthor started to think of awful reasons, but thanks to Kara's sweet and calming voice she was able to pull herself out before getting too consumed by the negative possibilities. "No, no, that's okay. She's probably curious as to why I haven't come to court just yet." She waved an excuse, standing on her tip-toes to peck her wife on the lips before departing out of their shared room, promising her to be back soon.

The walk to the Queen's Quarters left Lena alone to her thoughts for a little, which she would've dreaded before she came to Nationell Citi and met Kara, but the change in herself over the past month was noticeable in her outward as well as her inward behaviour. She slowly felt more comfortable in herself and with other people, no longer afraid to hold a conversation with a stranger. But would she be able to hold her own with the Queen? Her families Number One enemy after Krypton. Oh no, what if Eliza wanted to talk about Krypton? About Kara? Would she truly stoop low enough to punish her daughter-in-law because of what her father and brother had done to the now-fallen kingdom, and now her own? More thoughts swam around in Lena mind, threatening to suck her in if it weren't for the servant next to her announcing that she had arrived at her destination before leaving.

Lena hesitated on knocking on the door, peering down at something scratched into the bottom of the wood near her hip level. It faintly read 'Alex!' made with a blunt knife and in bold letters, the exclamation mark at the ending making Lena smile, her anxiety coming down slightly at the image of a young Alex Danvers carving her name into the palace door of her mother's room. Not as nervous as before, Lena took a steady breath and knocked on the solid wood, turning the handle when she heard Eliza's soft voice beckoning her inside.

The sight Lena was immediately met by was a beautifully made bed with gorgeous purple and dark blue sheets, and a large seating area with stacks of books, papers, and other trinkets. It looked like her and Kara's chambers, only much bigger. The Queen was sitting tall but relaxed in one of her soft chairs, fireplace bare but the room was still warm. The blonde turned her head and smiled. "Lena, come sit, dear."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lena moved to sit across from the powerful woman, a funny feeling sprouting in her chest at being called 'dear' by the kind ruler.

"You're married to one of my daughters, Lena. You can call me by my name if you'd like." Eliza informed her, laying back further into her chair as Lena sat down too.

Sadly, Lena was still a little too nervous to relax into her chair as well. "I was told you wanted to see me, Y—Eliza," The young Luthor tried to sound as calm and neat as possible. The only other queen and king she had spoken to were Lex, whose conversations always ended in a smack or degrading comment of some kind. "Not that I am ungrateful to be in your presence, but I keep wondering why you'd like to see me and not Kara as well."

The Queen nodded as she listened, pausing before replying. "You have nothing to fear, Lena. I actually wanted to talk to you concerning Kara." Lena willed her confusion to not show on her features. "I noticed a particularly stunning wedding band around her neck that is not her's." She explained, straightening out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Oh, t—that was her birth father's wedding ring." Lena didn't know whether it should've been Kara telling her adoptive mother that, but she wasn't going to keep a secret from Eliza when she asked so kindly. "My father stole it from her before Kryp—" _Oh no,_ Lena stopped herself, forgetting that nobody had any knowledge that she about Kara's true heritage. Lena worried that Eliza would have the same reaction Alex did, which broke into an argument that the two sisters still hadn't resolved yet. "I...I mean—"

"It's alright, dear. I know that you know." The older blonde revealed with a gentle tone. "Alex stormed in and told me a week ago with steam coming from her ears." She recalled with a playful grin and roll of her blue eyes.

The brunette sat still in her seat, waiting for something to happen, for Eliza's smile to disappear. "You aren't angry with me?"

Eliza shook her head confidently. "Of course not. Before your wedding, I had been hesitant about the subject in its entirety, but after meeting you and seeing how Kara acts around her perfect bride, I couldn't stay with the same mindset for long." The ruler noticed Lena's leg bouncing up and down softly, barely noticeable if not for the sound it made on her carpeted floor when she finished speaking.

"I would never tell a soul," Lena couldn't stop herself from saying, swallowing tensely. "I can promise you, Alex, and Kara that. I'm just grateful that your daughter loves me enough to trust me with something so personal. Honestly, I had found out before Kara could sit me down and tell me like she wanted to."

The whole time, the Queen's smile did not fade, if anything it grew wider. She leaned forward and covered Lena's hands with one of her own. "I believe you, and I know that Alex does as well. She inherited her father's stubbornness and protectiveness, but that's one of the things I love about her. If she knew what you did for Kara by giving her that ring, then I do not doubt my body that Alex would have to resist thanking you to spare her pride." Both she and the young Luthor laughed at that.

"I just don't want to be the reason they drift apart," Lena confessed after her laughter died down. "Their bond is strong, I know that from witnessing it, but I would never forgive myself if Alex couldn't even look at me anymore."

"You don't need to worry about that, Lena. All you can do is love Kara and Alex too, no matter how hard it can be." Eliza comforted her daughter-in-law, squeezing the pale girl's hands before letting them go to her tired body on the back of the chair. "Those two have been through some impressive things together. I know they'll be alright after both parties have cooled off."

Lena understood where Alex got her soft side from as she really looked into the pair of kind, wise eyes in front of her. She couldn't but speak her mind just then. "I hope I can be as good of a mother as you one day." After hearing herself out loud, Lena could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, resisting the urge to cover them up. 

The Queen looked pleasantly surprised by her words, raising her eyebrows in question. "One day? How long must I wait for grandchildren?" She added humorously, seeing it as a win that Lena chuckled genuinely too.

"Kara and I have been discussing it lately. I guess that's why it slipped out." The small brunette beamed inwardly at the memory of Kara smiling so sweetly when she said that having the Kryptonian's child would make her the happiest woman alive, meaning it with all of her heart.

"I assume Kara told you about Krypton's technology for conceiving a child whose parents are of the same sex?"

Lena nodded. Even thinking about her and Kara's children put a smile on her face. "She did. I had read so much about Krypton's incredible technology, but I never knew whether any of it was true until now."

The young Luthor saw Eliza's face fall slightly. "Yes. It's a shame they are no more." When the older blonde looked up at the guilty look on Lena's face, she quickly worked to resolve it. "Lionel was a wicked man who sought after knowledge in the wrong way, but now this world has someone who can set the Luthor name straight."

Lena could cry right then and there. Such kind words hit her soul hard in the best of ways. No wonder Kara was so polite and wonderful. She had been raised by two great queens. "You no idea how much that means to me, Your Grace."

Eliza's smile looked so similar to Kara's that Lena briefly wonder how they weren't related by blood. "I'm glad my daughter has you, sweetheart. I can't begin to imagine how hard growing up has been with the weight of your family's sins on your shoulders, but I truly pray that you know that taking it off around people you care for is incredibly beneficial."

The two royals exchanged kind words and advice for a little while more before Eliza allowed Lena to depart to be with her wife for the day. The Queen hugged her daughter-in-law tightly as a goodbye, something so very welcome for both women. On Lena's walk back to her chambers, she ran the whole conversation over in her mind, basking in the joy that came from having such a wonderful woman to look up to. Perhaps her children as well. One day.

***

"She talked about my father's ring?" Kara asked once they were in the quiet and safe confines of their room. The blonde instinctively put a hand over the small, treasured band at the centre of her chest. "Does she know you know about me?"

"Yes," Lena replied. She saw no panic or anger in Kara's face, so she continued. "I slipped up, but Eliza already knew because Alex told her."

Kara sighed heavily at the mention of her sister's name. "Yes, that sounds like her. my big sister is still looking out for me." A smile appeared for a little bit before going away. She rubbed the bridge of her nose for a moment before turning her attention to Lena again, hoping to listen to everything else she shared.

"Her and I also talked about...children." The brunette started to blush. "It's quite funny how often that subject has come up, isn't it?"

The Kryptonian chuckled and agreed, leading her wife to sit down with her on their bed. "Let me guess, my mother just cannot wait for grandchildren?" By the growing smile on Lena's face, she had guessed correctly. "Perhaps we should practice having little creatures running around the palace first. Maybe a dog or two?"

That made Lena laugh full-heartedly, touching her hand to her stomach as it tensed at the loud sound she made. "I think dogs are much faster than babies, Kara."

"But just as cute." She added, thrusting her pointer finger into the air like the people at court did when they said something remotely smart. As their laughing quieted, Kara slipped her arm around Lena's body and met her halfway for a much-needed kiss, even if it was too short for their liking. "I'm glad you and Eliza got to talk, even if I missed you for a while."

Lena just kissed her again to let Kara know that she missed her, too. Being near the warm Kryptonian quickly became a necessity, finding herself more comfortable and self-confident in her lover's presence. If she had to say just one of her favourite things about Kara, it would be her charming and loving personality. Something else had been on the tip of her tongue, though. "You know who else misses you?" 

"Hm?"

"Alex," Lena said, shifting her gaze to her lap so that she didn't have to see the confusion in Kara's eyes. "I wouldn't want to force you into anything, but it's been a week and I can tell you miss her a lot."

Kara didn't pull away, just listened and nodded. "I know. I do miss my sister, and I want to forgive her. I just don't know how to tell her." She explained, holding Lena's hand and leaning into her touch as her wife ran her palm up and down her forearm. "Alex had always been the one to forgive me for doing stupid things about my heritage and other things. I feel strange forgiving her for something so serious."

Truth be told, Lena didn't know much about forgiveness. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive her mother and brother for the horrible things they had done to her, and it scared her that she was somehow...okay with that. "Well, if it's any h—"

What seemed to be a common occurrence, Lena was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Both women turned around to face it as a servant announced themselves and walked in with two glasses on a tray and a small loaf of bread. "Miss Kara, here's the tea and bread you requested."

"Oh, yes, thank you," Kara remembered asking for it while Lena was away. She watched the servant set the tray down on the table across from the couple and bowed respectfully before leaving. "I forgot that I had asked for some things to eat and drink before you came back."

Lena would've been lying if she said that she wasn't a little hungry, even though breakfast wasn't too long ago. The two women travelled over to the table and stood as they continued to talk about random things, Lena listening as she ate her half of the loaf, and then Kara doing so. "Careful," The blonde warned her wife when she reached for her cup. "I think the tea is still hot."

"You know, I never really enjoyed tea until I came here," Lena revealed as she blew on her drink to settle the rising steam. "Thorul's tea was always so bitter, but here I actually find it tolerable."

"When I was younger I'd sneak into the kitchens at Krypton and put a splash of honey in mine. One of the cooks caught me and proceeded to tell the rest of the staff. I was called 'Honey Zor-El' for weeks. I still sometimes wonder if I ever truly lived it down." She laughed, remembering another little piece from her childhood that she had not yet told Lena.

The ravenette looked as cheerful as could be, also imagining a very young Kara sneaking around her home Kingdom. "What did the palace in Krypton look like?"

She thought for some time. "It was bigger than here, and the halls were lit by the light of outside, and at night we'd use lanterns to see. My mother loved paintings, so my father lined the walls with some for her birthday." Kara smiled sadly. The memory of Aloura's face when her husband showed her the rows of art hanging on the walls was still fresh in her mind. Kara missed her family every day.

Lena absorbed the story into her mind, already picturing the lush and spacious halls of her beloved's home, that feeling of belonging in Kara's heart as she witnessed the love of her parents. She brought the cup of tea up to her lips and sipped gently at first, getting used to the warmth before taking bigger sips. "Thorul had paintings, but I'm sure they were of far fewer quantity. I can only imagine how beautif—" She cut her off with a painful cough, reaching for her chest. The drink must have gone down wrong. Kara looked concerned but Lena waved her off as her coughing stopped. She opened her mouth again to apologise and continue, but the subtle warmth from the tea in her throat turned to a fast, burning sensation that travelled down her body until a tight force gripped her middle, the feeling so strong that Lena couldn't stop the cup from falling out of her hand and smashing to the floor with a splash and a hollow thump. Everything was felt so fast, and her breath was coming in slower and the brunette couldn't help but panic.

"Lena?" Kara jumped in surprise rushing to ask what was wrong, but the next moment saw her wife doubling over in agony, a strangled groan wrenched from her mouth as the blonde caught her from falling, similar to the shattered cup. "Lena!" The word was more urgent as Kara carefully brought her wife to a clean spot on the floor, pain written all over the young Luthor's face. _What the hell?_ Her coughs had returned, and Kara audibly whimpered when she caught a glimpse of crimson staining Lena's mouth and lips. "Guards! I need the healer!" 

Lena struggled for air, strength waining as blackness began to swarm around her eyes. The only comfort she had from the fiery pain was Kara's beautiful face looking down at her, hands supporting her head and back. The worried Kryptonian just held tight as the guards rushed in and watched the rest of the scene unfold. While soldiers quickly went to get help, Kara had only seconds to piece things together as Lena stopped moving, her eyes starting to close. "B—" The brunette wheezed, somehow finding her wife's arm and holding on with everything she had left. "Bitter."

"What?" Tears of panic slid down Kara's face, running the one word over in her mind before it just clicked. Lena said that Thorul's tea tasted bitter. _The tea._ Despite every bone in her body wanting to stay close to Lena, the blonde reluctantly turned to the shattered glass and the metal tray, looking for any sort of clue as to what happened. Just as Doctor Stein and Jax came in with a few others, Kara glanced at something odd out of the corner of her eye. Where the tray overlapped on the table was a white piece of parchment stuck to the bottom. She quickly yanked the paper from its place, not caring about the rest of the things tumbling off and scattering onto the hard wooden surface. Right in the middle of the parchment was a single letter, fancy black ink seeping into her soul, along with more dread and fear. The letter _L_.

Before Kara could open and read it she was back at Lena's side as the men lifted Lena's alarmingly still body on a stretcher, the Kryptonian following with as they exited the room. Kara whipped around at the last second and grabbed one of the guards by the neck of his armour, speaking urgently and firm. "It was poison in the tea. Find the servant who brought it to us and bring them to me." The man murmured a 'yes, Your Grace' as Kara hurried down the hall with the group of healers. Everything went by so quickly, but her blood ran cold as she shoved the mysterious note in her pocket and listened to nothing, seeing nothing but Lena lying down, unmoving with her blood drying on her mouth and breath gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Don't worry, friends. Don't worry.


End file.
